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Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni is unperturbed by his captain Lionel Messi's lack of recent game time with Inter Miami ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru.
Messi, 36, has struggled with a muscular injury since the last international break. He scored the winner in the Albiceleste's World Cup qualifying opener at home to Ecuador but sat out the next game in Bolivia.
Since then, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has played just 72 minutes across two MLS games - without making any goal contribution. Messi has sat out six games across competitions in this period.
Nevertheless, Scaloni included the attacker in his 34-man squad for the Paraguay game on Thursday (October 12) and against Peru five days later. Ahead of the Paraguay game, the Argentina boss said about Messi's limited game time for his club side (via AlbicelesteTalk):
"It doesn’t hurt us. ... by the next FIFA date, Messi will be active, he will train and has games with Inter Miami. Then after the FIFA date, he will have a little well deserved one month vacation, and after that he’ll be back as usual. I repeat that it doesn’t hurt us.”
Scaloni added that a decision hasn't been taken on whether Messi starts against Paraguay or comes off the bench:
“We still have one more training session left and that is important for Leo. We saw him well in recent sessions, in good shape. We will talk before the training to see if he plays from the start or not.”
Argentina are second in the CONMEBOL qualifying group with six points from two games, behind leaders Brazil on goal difference.
Lionel Messi seen enjoying with Argentina teammates in training
Lionel Messi seems to be enjoying on his return to the La Albiceleste fold ahead of their latest set of World Cup qualifiers.
The 36-year-old is Argentina's record goalscorer with 104 goals in 176 games and has scored 23 times in his last 15 outings, not scoring just once. Going by Scaloni's statement, Messi looks all set to feature against Paraguay on Thursday.
He's coming off a 35-minute cameo for Miami in their 1-0 home loss to FC Cincinnati, which doused their slim MLS postseason hopes. It also marked the Herons' first loss with Messi on the field.
