Lionel Messi, 36, has been on a tear since joining Inter Miami CF in mid-July, and he may have had enough.
Argentina national soccer team coach Lionel Scaloni is mulling over whether to play Messi in the second round of South American qualifying for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup in La Paz on Wednesday (5 a.m. ET).
Messi is expected to play against Bolivia, but his status on the field is uncertain, the Associated Press reported. Scaloni said at his official press conference on Tuesday that he wants to decide whether Messi will play or not.
Messi scored the winning goal in the 33rd minute with a left-footed free kick in the first round of South American qualifying against Ecuador in Buenos Aires on Sept. 7 to give his team a 1-0 victory.
Scaloni opted for a 4-3-3, with Nicolas Gonzalez, Lautaro Martinez, and Lionel Messi up front.
“Leo (Messi) was tired that day and asked for a substitution,” Scaloni said of the game, “but before the game (against Bolivia) we don’t need to talk to him. We’ll see what happens.”
In reality, Messi did not play the full game and was substituted in the 44th minute.
Scaloni wants to keep the same squad that played against Ecuador in La Paz, which is more than 3,000 meters above sea level, but he believes changes may be necessary. 카지노사이트
Bolivia lost 1-5 to Brazil in the first round of World Cup qualifying.
The 2026 North American Championship, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will feature 48 teams. The South American qualifiers will feature 10 teams playing a home-and-away pool to determine the top six teams that will qualify.
The seventh-place team will also qualify through an intercontinental playoff.