Why will Lionel Messi not play for Argentina in the World Cup Qualifiers?

Lionel Messi will not be included in Argentina’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Uruguay, as he was not part of the final selection announced today.

Initially, Messi was named in the 33-player roster earlier this month, despite some concerns regarding his fitness. He recently missed three matches with Inter Miami as the team opted to prioritize his well-being and avoid any risk of injury. It has now been confirmed that the World Cup winner is set to miss the qualifiers in this international break.

Following a difficult start to the 2025 Major League Soccer season, where the team played three fixtures within the span of just seven days, Inter Miami's manager, Javier Mascherano, announced that the superstar will not participate in the upcoming games. This was done to practice optimal load management.  

The head coach earlier clarified that Lionel Messi was not dealing with any injury concerns; rather, he was being rested as a precautionary measure to ensure his long-term performance and well-being.

Lionel Messi returned to the field against the Jamaican team Cavalier FC in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16. He was also involved in the MLS League game against Atalanta United. The left-footed magician scored two impressive goals in these fixtures to bring his all-time goal tally to 853.

Messi set to miss the World Cup Qualifiers 

Famous football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano shared an important piece of information regarding Messi on his X. Romano revealed that Messi underwent a scan following the conclusion of the fixture against Atalanta, and the scan results cemented that Messi wasn't one hundred per cent fit as he had a small niggle in the adductor area. Hence, the Argentine captain was ruled out of the Match FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

🚨⚠️ Understand Leo Messi completed a scan in the morning after the game vs Atlanta United last night.

The scan confirmed that Messi suffered from a small muscle injury in the adductor area and he won’t be available to play for Argentina. pic.twitter.com/x7v6kAukyv

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 17, 2025

The World Champions are set to take on Brazil and Uruguay in the qualifiers. Argentina sit at the top of CONMEBOL standing with 25 points from 12 games.