Leo Messi called up for Argentina qualifiers despite injury

Messi missed Inter's 4-1 defeat to Chicago on Wednesday as he continues to struggle with his fitness - he has played just 37 minutes for the club since September 3. Argentina host Paraguay on October 12 and then travel to play Peru five days later in CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The 36-year-old has missed Inter's last three games and five of their last six but little detail has been given about his physical condition. Miami's Argentine coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino initially said Messi was struggling with "muscle fatigue" but later referred to him being troubled by "scars" from an old injury.

The captain of Argentina's World Cup winning team last year in Qatar, Messi played and scored in his country's 1-0 win over Ecuador in Buenos Aires on September 7. He asked to be substituted in the final minutes of that game.