Messi and the Last Time He Missed a Game for Argentina: Is the No. 10 Being Protected?

There is concern, and rightfully so. Lionel Messi has been missing multiple games lately, and withdrawing from the Argentina national team squad only raises more alarms.

Why isn’t Messi playing for Argentina?

Argentina’s No. 10 featured in Inter Miami’s latest MLS match against Atlanta United, where he felt discomfort at the 64th minute. Although he managed to finish the game, the negative sensation didn’t completely go away.

The last time Messi missed a game with Argentina

This isn’t a new situation for Lionel Messi, who recently missed two matches with the Argentina national team during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, set to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

In September of last year, the reigning World Cup champions faced Chile at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, securing a 3-0 victory, before traveling to Colombia to play at the Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla, where they lost 2-1—both matches without Messi.

Other absences for Argentina

In addition to Messi’s absence due to a left adductor muscle injury, suffered during Inter Miami’s win over Atlanta United, Scaloni has also ruled out Paulo Dybala (Roma), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), and Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate) due to injuries.

Furthermore, Scaloni excluded Francisco Ortega (Olympiakos), Claudio Echeverri (Manchester City), and Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) for tactical and technical reasons.

Despite speculation about more call-ups from the domestic league, the final squad includes just one player from Argentine football: Germán Pezzella from River Plate.