As he continues to heal from the ankle injury he sustained at the Copa América final this past July, Lionel Messi has been left off of the most recent Argentina national team squad for the September CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia. 

Messi tried to play through the pain after he injured his right ankle in the first half of the championship game, but he was eventually forced to leave the field in the 66th minute.

The athlete sustained ligament damage, and Inter Miami CF declared that he would be sidelined indefinitely while he recovered. 

Since the final, the forward has not practiced or appeared on the field, spending the time now working out alone in the gym.

Now, as La Albiceleste prepare to face Colombia on September 10 in Bogotá after hosting Chile on September 5 in Buenos Aires, head coach Lionel Scaloni of the Argentina national team will have to rely on others.

Argentina, which most recently defeated Brazil 1-0 on November 21, 2023, is presently leading the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 15 points from six games played.

With 12 points, Colombia is ranked third in the standings, while Chile is struggling in ninth position with just 5 points. The top six CONMEBOL teams will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. 

The seventh-place team will move on to a second round of playoffs in order to try to win a spot. Ángel Di María, who declared his retirement prior to the Copa América campaign, will also be absent for Scaloni. In the most recent squad, the coach has Lautaro Martínez, Nicolas Gonzalez, and Julián Álvarez as his attacking options.