Messi Sidelined for FIFA WC Qualifiers Against Brazil and Uruguay Due to Discomfort

Lionel Messi has been rested by Argentina for their next two FIFA World Cup qualifiers, a move confirmed by head coach Lionel Scaloni when he released the 26-man squad on Monday.

Messi will be out of action for these games along with Paulo Dybala, who is also injured, his third straight absence from national team action.

Messi had been rested for his previous three league games with Inter Miami because of "fatigue" but came back to play on Monday (IST) in a 2-1 win over Atlanta United. Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano explained that Messi's rest was precautionary, with no injury, although he is said to be experiencing some discomfort now.

Argentina has dominated their World Cup qualifying campaign, picking up the most points after every matchday. They have only fallen short of a superior goal difference, which has kept them off the top spot from the very beginning. Nonetheless, following the third round of games, Scaloni's team took the lead and has never looked back.

In spite of some hiccups, such as two losses (to Colombia and Paraguay) and a draw against Venezuela—when Messi was injured—Argentina has proved to be resilient. They are five points ahead of second-placed Uruguay, and with only three points between second and sixth position in the table, Argentina is well-placed.

With Bolivia in seventh position, with a maximum of 31 points, Argentina needs to win only seven points from the remaining 18 to qualify automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But their next two matches against Uruguay (March 21) and Brazil (March 25)—two of the strongest South American teams—present a major challenge.

Below is the complete list of players called up to the Argentina team:

- Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille Olympique), Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven)
- Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico de Madrid), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), German Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille Olympique), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Racing Club de Lens), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique de Lyon)
- Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (AS Roma), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico de Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Máximo Perrone (Like 1907), Giuliano Simeone (Atlético de Madrid), Benjamin Domínguez (Bologna FC), Thiago Almada (Olympique de Lyon)
- Forwards: Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus), Angel Correa (Atletico de Madrid), Nicolas Paz (Like 1907), Julian Alvarez (Atlético de Madrid), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Santiago Castro (Bologna FC)