Lionel Messi’s participation in the Argentina vs Peru CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualifiers is in serious question due to a muscle injury. He was not anticipated to participate against Paraguay since he had been dealing with issues in the weeks preceding up to the game.
Despite suffering from muscle problems in the weeks building up to the game, Messi played the most of the second half against Paraguay last Thursday. Despite training with the team, there is no guarantee he will play against Peru on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old participated in a morning practice at his national team’s training facility. However, he suffered from muscle issues in his right leg. That kept him out of multiple MLS games for his team, Inter Miami.
If Messi is able to play against Peru, Lionel Scaloni may have to make a difficult substitution. As a result, neither Julián Alvarez nor Lautaro Martinez were in the team that defeated Paraguay. Keeping the captain in the starting lineup means Argentina will almost certainly play Nico Gonzalez again in Lima.
In the previous game, Messi replaced Julian Alvarez in the 52nd minute. This was after Argentina had already seized the lead. He was all over the opposition’s defenders once more. Messi struck the post twice but had a quiet game at the Monumental de Nuez Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Argentina leads continental qualification with 9 points after winning the World Cup. Brazil (7), Colombia (5), Uruguay, Chile, and Venezuela (4), Ecuador (3), Paraguay and Peru (1), and Bolivia (0) followed.
Argentina will go to Peru on Tuesday night hoping to make it four straight victory in their 2026 World Cup qualification division. With nine points, Lionel Scaloni’s world champions lead the standings. Peru, on the other hand, has struggled in the group, picking up only one point from three games to lie in ninth place.