Lionel Messi has been called up to Argentina's squad for their upcoming CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 qualifiers despite being on the injured list at his club, Inter Miami.
The 36-year-old has played just 37 minutes for Inter Miami since September 3 due to injury, but Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has clearly decided that the forward is too important to leave out of the squad.
Argentina will host Paraguay on October 12 before travelling to play Peru five days later. The team is currently at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, and a win in either of their next two matches would secure their place at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, or the United States.
Messi's injury:
Messi has been struggling with a hamstring injury since early September. He missed Inter Miami's last three games and five of their last six.
The forward is still recovering from the injury, but he is expected to be fit to play for Argentina in their upcoming qualifiers.
Argentina's squad:
Scaloni has named a strong squad for Argentina's upcoming qualifiers, with Messi joined by other world-class players such as Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, and Angel Di Maria.
Winger Facundo Farias, 21, a teammate of Messi's from Miami, has received his first call-up to the national team roster.
Argentina's World Cup qualifying campaign:
Argentina has had a perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, winning all six of their matches so far.
The team is currently at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, and a win in either of their next two matches would secure their place at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Messi's importance to Argentina:
Messi is Argentina's all-time leading scorer, with 86 goals in 162 appearances. He is also the team's captain and talisman.
Messi is still one of the best players in the world, and he is a major threat to any team that he plays against.
Argentina will be hoping that Messi is fit to play in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The team is in a good position to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but they will need to be at their best to beat Paraguay and Peru.
