Lionel Messi ruled out of World Cup qualifiers due to injury

Lionel Messi will miss two World Cup qualifiers after he was on Monday left out of the Argentina squad for games against Uruguay and Brazil because he reportedly suffered an injury in a club game the day before. After missing three games for his club, Inter Miami, at the start of March with a pulled muscle, the 37-year-old Messi returned with a goal off the bench in a CONCACAF Champions Cup win.

He played a full 90 minutes and scored again in an MLS win in Atlanta on Sunday but, Argentinian media reported, then felt muscle discomfort. Argentina, the defending World Cup champions, can ensure qualification for next year's tournament in their two games on the current international group.

They lead the 10-team South American qualifying group by five points from Uruguay and visit Montevideo on Friday before hosting Brazil in Buenos Aires on March 25.