Argentina’s national football team has been given a significant boost with the return of captain Lionel Messi for their upcoming CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia. The 37-year-old forward, who plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, has recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined him during Argentina’s qualifiers against Chile and Colombia in August.
Messi’s absence in August came after he sustained the injury during the Copa America final, where Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 to secure a record 16th Copa America title. Now fully recovered, Messi will rejoin a squad filled with talent across all positions.
Argentina’s defense features Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Leonardo Balerdi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Marcos Acuna, and Nicolas Tagliafico.
In midfield, coach Lionel Scaloni has called up Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, Giovani Lo Celso, and Thiago Almada.
Joining Messi in the attacking lineup are forwards Alejandro Garnacho, Nicolas Gonzalez, Nico Paz, Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, and Valentin Carboni.
Argentina, currently one of the strongest teams in South America, will look to secure crucial points in their qualifying campaign as they head toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The return of their talisman, Messi, adds extra firepower to the squad as they face Venezuela and Bolivia in their upcoming fixtures.
