Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni got some unfortunate news on Sunday evening when he was informed the Albiceleste will have to cope without the great Lionel Messi for the huge pair of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil this week.
The Inter Miami star has been felled by an adductor injury picked up the evening before the roster announcement and was not included in the Argentina squad for the pair of critical matches.
It was a massive blow to the reigning world champions that leaves them without their heartbeat for two of the most critical games of the qualifying cycle.
Sitting first in the standings with a five-point gap above second-place Uruguay, these two matches could either provide a firm grip on the top spot with four matches to go, or can leave their position in peril and cast doubt on their viability as repeat contenders.
The Sporting News details more on why Messi has been left off the roster, and how Inter Miami are potentially culpable for his early-season fitness concerns.
MORE: All the latest soccer action | Lionel Messi news
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 had played the full 90 minutes for Inter Miami the previous night, including a goal scored in a 2-1 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 which 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.
MORE: Full Argentina squad for March 2025 qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil
Inter Miami handling of Lionel Messi under question
There is no beating around the bush here: Inter Miami’s handling of Lionel Messi’s fitness has been truly disastrous.
The club has attempted to keep Messi’s fitness close to the vest, but the games he has and hasn’t played in have made little to no sense whatsoever.
First, to begin the season, Messi played nearly the full 90 minutes in three consecutive games across seven days. The first of those was in a road game at Sporting KC, which was postponed until the next day due to weather, and then followed that up at home against NYCFC in the MLS season opener on short rest.
The 37-year-old was then left out of the squad for a road trip to the Houston Dynamo the following weekend, a move which in a vacuum made sense. Yet it was likely that decision was forced when he also missed the home game against Cavalier in continental play.
That miss was also defensible on its own terms, but when he was left on the bench against Charlotte FC that weekend, it was clear something was wrong. If fully fit, Messi should have played that game, a home league match, but instead sat out as an unused sub.
For Messi to need another game of recovery was not the issue. Instead, the problem is what followed.
After three games on the sidelines, Inter Miami brought Messi overseas for their road leg against Cavalier in Jamaica, tossing him out for 37 meaningless minutes on a terrible pitch. The Herons were already up 3-0 on aggregate against an inferior opponent when he was introduced
It doesn’t stop there. Messi then played a full 90 minutes against Atlanta United on the road in MLS play three days later, heading into the international break. If that budding rivalry match was of such clear importance to Inter Miami, why risk Messi in a pointless appearance in Jamaica?
Sure enough, Messi reportedly felt a tug in his adductor in the 63rd minute after taking a shot…but then proceeded to play the rest of the match! This is, in short, gross misuse by Inter Miami and head coach Javier Mascherano. Sure, it would raise alarm bells to substitute Messi with 25 minutes remaining in a level MLS match of such importance, and the damage was probably already done. But it is their responsibility to protect his fitness for the long-term.
Now, Messi is sidelined for a pair of critical Argentina games against two strong CONMEBOL opponents, including the biggest home match of the qualifying cycle, and Inter Miami will be worrying about his fitness for a pair of make-or-break CONCACAF Champions Cup games against LAFC which begin on April 2. If his adductor injury is enough to keep him out for two key Argentina matches, it’s likely that one or both of those Inter Miami games, especially the first leg in Los Angeles, are at real risk.
The Herons have shot themselves in the foot early in 2025, and for very little gain in the end.
