Argentine fans have had mixed reactions to superstar Lionel Messi’s absence from the national team’s squad as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.

Yesterday (August 19, Vietnam time), coach Lionel Scaloni officially called up 28 players to prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches in South America.

As usual, Scaloni continues to trust in the stars who usually appear in this squad, but the player who generates the most expectations, Lionel Messi, is not on this list. The Inter Miami star is still recovering from the injury he suffered in the 2024 Copa América final and has not been able to play since.

Witnessing Messi’s regrettable absence, Albiceleste fans left with mixed reactions.

One person said: “The most important ingredient is missing.”

The second person said: “Messi is not in the Argentina national team. I am not ready for this. Someone take me back to 2022.”

A third person was sad: “How heartbreaking.”

In addition to some comments above lamenting Messi’s absence, some others believe that El Pulga should consider retiring because he is increasingly susceptible to injury.

One person said: “It’s time to stop, man.”

Another added: “He should just retire. He has missed more games this year than he has played. He came back from injury, played a few games, then got injured again and rested again for a few weeks.”

The last person said: “Messi’s body has gone downhill, he should retire.”

In the 2024 Copa America final against Colombia, Messi was fouled hard by Santiago Arias on the opposing side and suffered a serious ankle injury. The 37-year-old left the field crying in sadness, but in the end his teammates completed the job excellently with Lautaro Martínez’s “golden goal” to defend the Copa America title.

In this international competition, Argentina will face Chile and Colombia respectively, considered the two toughest rivals that Lionel Scaloni’s army will have to face this year.