Lionel Messi picks up injury in FIFA World Cup qualifier win over rivals Brazil: Reports

Lionel Messi reportedly picked up an injury during Argentina's win over Brazil on Tuesday, November 21, at Maracana. The Inter Miami forward has no club matches scheduled for the next two months and should have enough time to recover for the pre-season.

The world champions picked up a historic win over Brazil in their CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers game. Nicolas Otamendi scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over their arch-rivals, keeping them on top of the table.

Messi seemingly picked up the injury (via All About Argentina) early in the game but stayed on the pitch until the 78th minute, with Angel Di Maria replacing him.

The Argentine captain spoke to the media about the violent circumstances the match was played in as Brazilian police and travelling fans were involved in a brawl in the stands. On this, Messi stated (via All About Argentina):

“We saw how they were hitting the people, it already happened in the Libertadores final. They were more focused on that than on the game. We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down, a tragedy could have happened. This group continues to achieve historic things.“

The win has left Lionel Messi's side two points clear at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers table. Brazil, on the other hand, are now sixth with just two wins from their six matches.

Lionel Messi has no plans to join any side on loan in the winter

Lionel Messi was linked with a move to Al Hilal and Barcelona in the MLS off-season. The two sides were reportedly trying to sign the Inter Miami star on loan for the next few months, but the Argentine ruled it out.

He spoke to ESPN in October and said:

"No. It's a shame [we didn't qualify for MLS playoffs]. We came very close. I missed the last few games, we had several injuries. The month of July was very hard for us, we played every three days, we traveled. But we won a tournament, which is important for the club and for what is coming next year."

He added:

"I will train, I will play our upcoming match [against Charlotte FC] and I will try to get here [to the national team] in the best possible way for November. After that, I will enjoy the holidays in Argentina. It's the first time that I am going to have more days off in December, with the holidays, with peace of mind, with my people. In January, I will return again to do preseason. Start from scratch and prepare as best as possible as always."

Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in July and helped them win the Leagues Cup. He also helped them make it to the US Open Cup final but could not get them into the MLS playoffs.