Lionel Messi (Miami International), who was absent recently due to a leg injury, was called up to the Argentine national football team before the third and fourth rounds of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 North American World Cup.
The Argentine Football Association announced on its website on the 6th (Korean time) the list of 34 national teams participating in the World Cup South American qualifiers against Paraguay (9am on the 13th) and Peru (9am on the 18th).
Coach Lionel Scaroni has added Messi, who is unable to participate in the game due to injury, to this list. Due to a leg muscle injury, Messi was absent from five of the team's last six regular season matches.
He has been excluded from the squad for four consecutive matches, including cup matches. At the same time, head coach Scaloni made a firm decision to include Messi in the national team roster.
Messi's injury began during the South American qualifiers for the North and Central American World Cup last month. Messi started in the first leg of the 2026 North American World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador at the Buenos Aires Memorial Stadium in Argentina on the 8th of last month, and scored the winning goal in the 33rd minute from a free kick. In the first minute of the second half, the team won 1-0. However, Messi, who was feeling unwell after the game, missed the second leg of the South American qualifying match against Bolivia on September 13th due to a muscle injury.
Messi, who returned to the American professional football team Miami after the South American qualifiers, missed two consecutive regular season matches and started in a game against the Toronto Raptors on the 22nd of last month. However, he was substituted in the 37th minute of the first half.
Afterwards, Messi was unable to play in four consecutive games, disappointing fans. Despite the team's concerns, the Argentine national team, which effectively provided an excuse for Messi's injury, summoned him to participate in the second round of the South American qualifiers of this World Cup. His recovery from injury has also become a topic of interest for fans.
