Lionel Messi has been ruled out of Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to a low-grade adductor muscle injury, dealing a blow to the reigning champions’ bid to secure early qualification for the 2026 tournament. Brazil will also be without star forward Neymar, who continues to recover from a thigh injury.
Inter Miami confirmed the 37-year-old Messi sustained the injury during Sunday’s MLS win over Atlanta United, just days after his return to the starting lineup. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had recently missed three club matches before scoring off the bench in Inter Miami’s Concacaf Champions Cup victory over Jamaica’s Cavalier SC last week.
Sitting atop South America’s 10-team qualifying group with a five-point lead over second-place Uruguay, Argentina can clinch an automatic berth for the 2026 World Cup with strong results in their next two fixtures. The Albiceleste face Uruguay in Montevideo on November 16 before hosting archrivals Brazil on November 21. Six teams from the CONMEBOL region will qualify directly, while the seventh enters an intercontinental playoff.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni will also be without Roma striker Paulo Dybala and River Plate defender Gonzalo Montiel, both sidelined due to injuries. Messi remains Argentina’s all-time leading scorer with 112 goals in 191 appearances and is the current top scorer in qualifying with six goals.
Fifth-placed Brazil, seven points behind Argentina, faces Colombia and Argentina without Neymar. The 33-year-old Santos forward, who recently returned to his boyhood club, continues to recover from a left thigh injury sustained in October.
With six qualifiers remaining, Argentina’s depth will be tested as they aim to defend their World Cup title. Messi’s absence shifts focus to Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez to lead the attack, while Brazil’s revamped squad under interim coach Fernando Diniz seeks to revive their faltering campaign.
Lionel Messi Sidelined for Argentina’s Critical World Cup Qualifiers; Neymar Also Absent for Brazil
