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Rodrigo De Paul has sent a public message to Lionel Messi after Argentina's 1-0 win against Paraguay on October 13 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Inter Miami superstar was left out of the starting XI but came on in the 53rd minute to help his team over the line. Nicolas Otamendi's third-minute volleyed strike proved to be the difference as La Albiceleste continued their 100% start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL qualifiers.
There were question marks over Messi's fitness ahead of the game at the Estadio Mas Monumental. He had been suffering from a muscle injury that saw him miss several games in the last month.
Messi's return against Paraguay would have undoubtedly pleased Argentina's fans. He missed their 3-0 win against Bolivia in La Paz last month after helping them to a 1-0 win over Ecuador in their qualifying opener.
Teammate Rodrigo De Paul, a close friend of the former Barcelona superstar, was happy to see the 36-year-old return to the pitch. After the game, he said (h/t @AlbicelesteTalk on X):
"We always miss him. We always want to have him on the field. For me, it’s a pleasure to turn around and give him a pass, being able to give him a chance.
"He gives us a lot of peace of mind. I hope he comes back for the next game because with him, everything is better."
Scaloni confirmed after the game that Messi's exclusion from the starting XI was because of his lack of match fitness.
Lionel Messi refused to take captain's armband from Argentina teammate
Lionel Messi is Argentina's undisputed captain on the pitch. In his absence, Nicolas Otamendi (35) was handed the armband against Paraguay.
As is customary, the former Manchester City centre-back started approaching Messi with the armband once he saw him coming on. Otamendi wanted the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to wear the armband after coming on.
However, Messi, who has 177 caps for La Albiceleste, refused, in a show of touching camaraderie towards Otamendi. The video of the incident can be seen below, via @Messismo10 on X (formerly called Twitter):
Now that Lionel Messi has returned to the pitch in international football, fans will hope that he's fit to face Peu in Lima on Tuesday (October 17). If that happens, it would be highly unlikely that he will represent Inter Miami against Charlotte less than 24 hours later in the MLS.
