Lionel Messi’s Shocking Absence: What This Injury Could Mean for Argentina’s US Tour and Beyond

The Argentina national team will head to the United States next week for a tour that includes two friendly matches. Lionel Messi is expected to feature, playing in one of his final appearances of the year with the national team. However, a key teammate will be absent.

“The Atletico Madrid player Thiago Almada will miss the two friendlies in the United States,” the official Argentina national team account announced on X this Saturday, confirming that the midfielder will not even travel from Spain to America.

Almada has been sidelined for several weeks due to a muscle injury in his right leg, suffered during Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on September 4. He was subbed off in the second half of that match and didn’t travel to Ecuador for the final game of the international window.

Upon returning to Spain, the midfielder was carefully managed by coach Diego Simeone to ensure a full recovery. As a result, he has missed Atletico Madrid’s last six matches. In La Liga, he was unavailable for the derby against Real Madrid and games against Villarreal, Mallorca, and Rayo Vallecano. In the UEFA Champions League, he missed both the Liverpool and Eintracht Frankfurt clashes.