Messi out injured as Argentina seek to seal World Cup place / Photo: Sarah Stier - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
-
OpenAI cancels release of newest model due to safety concerns
-
Manchester City's Premier League charges: What comes next?
-
AI bosses head to White House as safety pressure builds
-
Brazil's cellphone crime: a security nightmare in every pocket
-
Batista sacked as Costa Rica coach after six months
-
Russia pummels Kyiv in latest deadly attack
-
Flooding, power cuts and evacuations as Hurricane Polo slams Mexico
-
NFL Giants obtain QB McCarthy from Vikings
-
Dodgers eye three-peat, Red Sox face Yankees as MLB playoffs begin
-
Deal for evicted Spanish pensioner as PM seeks new housing law
-
Certification of Boeing 737 MAX delayed by software bug
-
Clippers apologize, warn fans of 'challenges' after Leonard scandal
-
Celine Dion wows Paris Fashion Week with surprise gig
-
Turkish comedian convicted for Erdogan 'insult' freed pending appeal
-
AMD buys firm founded by AI 'godmother' Fei-Fei Li
-
Trump announces 'biggest' US steel plant in battleground Iowa
-
Italy rebound in Turkey as France win late in Belgium
-
Olise wonder strike gives Zidane's France win in Belgium
-
Pope says concerns about AI 'should be taken seriously'
-
US stocks fall, bond yields rise as Middle East war drags on
-
Hurricanes to hoist title banner as NHL season begins
-
Trump denies offering to sell arms to China's Xi
-
Justice Alito steps aside from major US climate case
-
Wemby ready for NBA Spurs to move rivals in climb to top
-
Willis happy with England exile after retains Top 14 player award
-
Ukraine to postpone some spending amid delays in aid: PM
-
Spain housing protests keep heat on government as PM seeks new law
-
Tuchel says Czech Republic game 'not yet a must-win'
-
Wissa spoils Zimbabwe homecoming as DR Congo win AFCON qualifier
-
MaXhosa puts South Africa on the Paris fashion map
-
UK police release on bail five men held over airbase incident
-
Rose, Scott among 2027 World Golf Hall of Fame finalists
-
Ex-All Black Plummer 'sure' New Zealand will find Super Rugby solution
-
Brunson says NBA champion Knicks can't get satisfaction
-
Shein sees 1% revenue growth in first half of 2026
-
France puts out largest wildfire since 1949
-
Netherlands regrets Israel retaliation in settlements row
-
Real Madrid's Perez summoned over Barcelona referee payments comments
-
Moscow seizes Russian assets of German food retailer Metro
-
Oil takes off again, Wall Street dips after Trump rejects Iran truce offer
-
Bulgarian spirits inflamed by new rakia rules
-
AlgoQuant Asset Management Selects Liquid Mercury to Enhance Digital Asset Trading Infrastructure
-
Documentary turns camera on architect Peter Zumthor
-
UK to reopen refugee resettlement scheme to push 'safe' migration
-
UK police say releasing on bail five men held over airbase incident
-
Pope urges Europe to help combat 'lies and deceit' in world affairs
-
Trump admin finalizes reversal of US fuel economy standards
-
Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh wins Council of Europe's rights prize
-
US says no China arms sale plans after envoy cites Trump offer
-
French far-right's Bardella denies alleged 2013 antisemitic comments
Messi out injured as Argentina seek to seal World Cup place
Lionel Messi will miss two World Cup qualifiers after he was on Monday left out of the Argentina squad for games against Uruguay and Brazil because he reportedly suffered an injury in a club game the day before.
After missing three games for his club, Inter Miami, at the start of March with a pulled muscle, the 37-year-old Messi returned with a goal off the bench in a CONCACAF Champions Cup win. He played a full 90 minutes and scored again in an MLS win in Atlanta on Sunday but, Argentinian media reported, then felt muscle discomfort.
Argentina, the defending World Cup champions, can ensure qualification for next year's tournament in their two games on the current international group.
They lead the 10-team South American qualifying group by five points from Uruguay and visit Montevideo on Friday before hosting Brazil in Buenos Aires on March 25.
The top six teams qualify directly for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The seventh-placed team is currently Bolivia with 13 points.
After 12 rounds, Messi is the top scorer in the competition with six goals.
Argentina are also without injured Roma striker Paulo Dybala and River Plate full-back Paulo Montiel.
Brazil, will be without 33-year-old Neymar, who has suffered a thigh injury and has had to postpone his return to the national team, who are fifth, seven points behind Argentina.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, ENG), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille, FRA), Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven, NED).
Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille, FRA), Cristian Romero (Tottenham, ENG), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica, POR), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon, FRA), Facundo Medina (Lens, FRA), Juan Foyth (Villarreal, ESP), German Pezzella (River Plate)
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma, ITA), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool, ENG), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen, GER), Maximo Perrone (Como, ITA), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea, ENG), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Benjamin Dominguez (Bologne, ITA), Thiago Almada (Lyon, FRA)
Forwards: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, ITA), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Nicolas Paz (Como, ITA), Santiago Castro (Bologna, ITA), Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus, ITA).
O.M.Souza--AMWN