Looking to cement their position atop the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying table, Argentina are geared up for a pair of huge games this March against Uruguay and Brazil.
Unfortunately for the defending FIFA champions, they will have to soldier on without their the great Lionel Messi, who was not included on the roster.
The two games present a significant challenge for Argentina, especially in the absence of Messi. They will first travel to Montiviedo to face second-place Uruguay, who lurk five points back in the standings, on Friday. Then comes a crucial home match against rivals Brazil four days later, who present a challenge of a different nature.
The Selecao have struggled this qualifying session and sit fifth in the table, meaning any dropped points at home would represent an embarrassment. Yet Brazil have Neymar back for the first time in over a year and a half, meaning they are potentially at greater strength than they have been so far this cycle.
The Sporting News runs through the Argentina qualifying roster and the reason for Messi’s absence.
MORE: All the latest soccer action | Lionel Messi news
Argentina squad for Brazil, Uruguay matches in March 2025
Head coach Lionel Scaloni has named 26 players to his official roster for March qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil.
The big news from the announcement was that Lionel Messi was not included, as he was left off due to injury.
Otherwise, it was a straightforward roster from Scaloni, with nearly all the other regulars included. Not on the roster is Paulo Dybala, who continues his awful injury timing by picking up a hamstring issue just before the international break. Also out injured are Gio Lo Celso and Gonzalo Montiel.
| Pos | Name | Club | Caps |
| GK | Walter Benitez | PSV (NED) | 1 |
| GK | Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa (ENG) | 6 |
| GK | Geronimo Rulli | Marseille (FRA) | 49 |
| DEF | Leonardo Balderi | Marseille (FRA) | 5 |
| DEF | Juan Foyth | Villarreal (ESP) | 18 |
| DEF | Facundo Medina | Lens (FRA) | 4 |
| DEF | Nahuel Molina | Atletico Madrid (ESP) | 48 |
| DEF | Nicolas Otamendi | Benfica (POR) | 123 |
| DEF | German Pezzella | River Plate (ARG) | 42 |
| DEF | Cristian Romero | Tottenham (ENG) | 40 |
| DEF | Nicolas Tagliafico | Lyon (FRA) | 67 |
| MID | Thiago Almada | Lyon (FRA) | 6 |
| MID | Rodrigo de Paul | Atletico Madrid (ESP) | 75 |
| MID | Benjamin Dominguez | Bologna (ITA) | 0 |
| MID | Enzo Fernandez | Chelsea (ENG) | 34 |
| MID | Nico Gonzalez | Juventus (ITA) | 41 |
| MID | Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool (ENG) | 36 |
| MID | Exequiel Palacios | Bayer Leverkusen (GER) | 32 |
| MID | Leandro Paredes | Roma (ITA) | 70 |
| MID | Maximo Perrone | Como (ITA) | 0 |
| MID | Giuliano Simeone | Atletico Madrid (ESP) | 1 |
| FWD | Julian Alvarez | Atletico Madrid (ESP) | 42 |
| FWD | Santiago Castro | Bologna (ITA) | 0 |
| FWD | Angel Correa | Atletico Madrid (ESP) | 25 |
| FWD | Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan (ITA) | 70 |
| FWD | Nico Paz | Como (ITA) | 1 |
Lionel Messi not included in Argentina squad
It came as a surprise on Monday morning when Lionel Messi was not amongst the Argentina squad to face Uruguay and Brazil this coming week.
Given Messi played the full 90 minutes for Inter Miami the previous night, including scoring a goal in a 2-1 MLS win over Atlanta United, it was a surprise to hear that he had picked up a “small left adductor injury” according to the club.
According to reports, he took a shot in the 63rd minute that tweaked his thigh and still decided to play the rest of the match after feeling the discomfort.
While Inter Miami are painting the injury as minor, it remains to be seen whether he can recover in time for their upcoming matches, including continental play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup next week, with the first leg against LAFC on April 2.
