Argentina captain Lionel Messi will not travel to Ecuador with the team.
Argentina has one more match left in the World Cup qualifiers, but skipper Lionel Messi won’t be playing in it. The superstar will skip the trip to Ecuador.
In Buenos Aires, at the Monumental Stadium, Messi starred in Argentina’s 3-0 victory against Venezuela on Friday morning (Bangladesh time), scoring a brace in what turned out to be his last home qualifier match. It was an emotional night for the 38-year-old legend.
After the game, Messi revealed that he had discussed the matter with coach Lionel Scaloni and decided to skip the final qualifier to focus on club duties with Inter Miami.
“I spoke with Leo (Scaloni). He decided to give me some rest. I’ve just recovered from an injury, and although I feel fine now, we agreed I won’t travel and won’t play the next match. We’re playing in the MLS, and that’s the priority,” Messi said.
Messi also opened up about the injury struggles he faced last month while playing for Inter Miami:
“The injury kept me out for 15 days, which disrupted my rhythm… I hope to finish the year well and then start the preseason in the best possible way.”
Argentina’s World Cup-winning coach Lionel Scaloni further explained Messi’s absence:
“He won’t travel to Ecuador. Towards the end of the (Venezuela) match, he was exhausted and probably should have come off earlier. But given the emotions of the night, we had already decided beforehand to let him play the full match. Now, he’ll take this time to rest and spend it with his family, which he deserves.”
Despite missing the final match, Messi extended his record as the all-time top scorer in South American World Cup qualifiers, taking his tally to 36 goals after netting twice against Venezuela. He also matched Ecuador’s Ivan Hurtado for the most appearances in South American qualifiers (72 matches). However, by skipping the last game, he’ll miss the chance to hold that record outright.
Argentina will face Ecuador on Wednesday morning (Bangladesh time). The reigning world champions currently sit top of the table with 38 points from 17 matches.
