Argentina (National Football)

The Argentina men's national team announced Monday that superstar Lionel Messi will not play in the team's upcoming friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, respectively.

"The captain Lionel Messi, will not be able to be in the squad for the friendlies in USA due to a minor injury he suffered in his team's match against Nashville," the team said in a statement (h/t Fabrizio Romano).

Argentina will face El Salvador at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, March 22 (8 p.m. ET) and Costa Rica at L.A.'s United Airlines Field at the Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday, March 26 (10:50 p.m. ET).

The matches were originally scheduled to take place in China but were cancelled after Messi didn't appear in an Inter Miami friendly against Hong Kong last month due to a groin injury. Three days later he appeared in a friendly against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo, much to the chagrin of the Hong Kong government.

The 36-year-old missed Saturday's contest between Inter Miami and D.C. United after leaving Thursday's matchup vs. Nashville FC with a hamstring injury, an unrelated issue to last month's groin issues.

It always seemed likely that both he and the club would take a patient approach to his recovery from this latest knock.

"We'll continuously evaluate what he's doing," Inter Miami manager Tata Martino told reporters on Saturday. "The objective is for him to arrive to be able to play in the quarterfinals of CONCACAF Champions Cup. We don't want to take a risk."

Inter Miami will face CF Monterrey on Wednesday, April 3 and Wednesday, April 10 in the quarterfinals.

Obviously, Inter Miami's fate is closely tied to Messi's health and productivity. In five games this season between MLS and the Champions Cup he's registered five goals and two assists, a blistering pace.

Argentina under-23 coach Javier Mascherano said in a recent interview with TyC Sports (via ESPN) that he's spoken with Inter Miami star Lionel Messi about potentially appearing for the team at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

Olympic rosters for soccer are comprised of U-23 players, though countries are allowed to invite up to three players over that age limit.

Mascherano acknowledged that Messi's age and commitments for Inter Miami will likely play a major role in the decision:

I spoke with Leo and we agreed to keep talking. He has just started the season with Inter Miami and we still have some time until the Olympic Games. And we have to consider he also has the Copa América ahead this summer. It is not an easy situation.

We have to see if he really has the energy to be there [in Paris]. It is not our intention to bother him or pressure him. We made him an invitation in advance and we gave him all the facts he needs to think about it and to talk with his club. It is not easy for him, either, to manage it with Inter Miami and the MLS and to be absent for a while. He will decide at the right time

Inter Miami doesn't have to release Messi for the Olympics if it is so inclined, but it's hard to imagine the club denying him the chance to compete in the event one last time if he wants to participate. It would be a terrible public relations hit, for one—imagine the reaction from world football fans who wanted to see him compete in the tournament—but it's also generally a poor idea to alienate the most important figure who will ever play for your franchise.

But Messi is also 36 years old and will almost assuredly represent Argentina at the Copa América in late June and July. With the Olympics set to begin in late July, it would be a very busy summer for Messi and keep him away from his club for a significant period of the MLS and Leagues Cup schedule.

Miami manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino previously said that South American players at the club would have to pick between the two tournaments. But again, Messi is Messi and may be the one player granted an exemption if he so desires.

Time will tell. As for the other senior slots, Mascherano said he would love to have Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez participate at the Paris Games, though the club would have the option to deny him that opportunity.

Lionel Messi memorabilia continues to be highly sought after by collectors looking to add a piece of his legacy to their collection, and the latest of the Argentinian's gear to hit the market sold for millions.

Six of Messi's jerseys worn during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including one from their win over France in the final, sold for $7.8 million at auction on Thursday at Sotheby's New York, according to ESPN's Tom Hamilton.

The sale sets a new record for Messi memorabilia. The previous record for a piece of game-worn clothing worn by Messi was $450,000 for a shirt he wore during El Clásico in 2017 with Barcelona.

The jerseys included in the lot were worn by Messi in the first-half of two group stage matches, a round of 16 win over Australia, a quarterfinal win over the Netherlands, a semifinal victory over Croatia and the tournament winner against France.

The Qatar World Cup was Messi's first victory in the tournament as Argentina defeated France on penalties to cement the 36-year-old's legacy as one of the best to ever step foot onto a soccer field.

Messi, who now plays for David Beckham's Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, notched seven goals and three assists in seven games at the 2022 World Cup.

FIFA has opened an investigation into fan violence that delayed the start of Tuesday's 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Argentina and Brazil at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

World soccer's governing body has charged the Argentina football federation with crowd disturbances and the late kickoff and has also charged the Brazilian federation with failures of managing security at a game it organized.

Tuesday's game started 27 minutes late after brawls broke out among fans in the stands shortly after the national anthems were played. Pieces of seats and other objects were thrown during the fights, and at least one fan was left bleeding from his head, per Mauricio Savarese of the Associated Press.

Police used batons to break up the fights, and when Argentina returned to the field for the start of the game, officers surrounded the country's fans as they cheered on their team to victory.

Col. Vagner Ferreira blamed the game's organizers for what occurred prior to kickoff.

"Every action demands a reaction. There is a history of confrontation here. At first we spoke to them. Then, we had to use our batons. There was no lethal force involved, no rubber bullets, no tear gas. This was a very technical approach," Ferreira told TV channel SporTV.

Argentina went on to win the game 1-0 on a goal from Nicolás Otamendi in the 63rd minute and is now firmly atop the South American World Cup qualifying standings with 15 points. Brazil is sixth with seven points.

Both Brazil and Argentina will return to World Cup qualifying action in September 2024. Argentina will host Chile and Brazil will host Ecuador.

The two teams could meet again in the 2024 Copa América.

Argentina's players left the pitch at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium before Tuesday's Conmebol World Cup qualifier against Brazil due to fighting in the stands between supporters of the rival nations, according to multiple reports.

The game was delayed for 30 minutes before Argentina returned to the pitch and the game kicked off. Brazil's team stayed on the pitch during the delay.

Argentina, which took the lead in the 61st minute on a Nicolás Otamendi, came into the game atop South American qualifying on 12 points after five games. Brazil was fifth in qualifying on seven points, though a loss would drop them to sixth after Ecuador won earlier on Tuesday.

Argentina is the defending World Cup champions.

The addition of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami CF is a game changer for the franchise but that doesn't mean the organization isn't prepared to play without his services.

Messi debuted in MLS competition with the team Saturday night and was able to add a goal as Miami defeated New York Red Bulls 2-0. He did not start the game on the pitch, rather he entered the game in the 60th minute.

Following the game, head coach Tata Martino noted that the rotation used in the game was crucial to the victory, especially since Messi will miss at least three games in each of the next two seasons in order to play Internationally for his native Argentina.

"We put a lot of value in this win because (playing with a rotation) is something we need to get used to because Leo is going to join his national team," Martino said, per Tom Bogert of The Athletic. "He'll miss at least three games this year and next year it will be the same, and we need to understand that when he's not here the team still needs to provide results."

Messi is slated to play in Miami's next two games against Nashville SC and Los Angeles FC, which are scheduled for August 30 and September 3. There are conflicts after this, as Messi is set to play in World Cup qualifiers with Argentina on September 9 and 12, and he has MLS Games on the 9th and 16th.

Messi's presence will be felt for much of Inter Miami's remaining schedule but they need a sensational run to make the playoffs. The team is currently 14th in the Eastern Conference with 21 points in 23 matches.

Jim Reineking of USA Today previously projected it would take about eight wins in the final 12 matches to crash the playoff party, although Saturday's victory against the Red Bulls was a step in the right direction.

Messi's addition will obviously provide a huge help in making this type run, but his absence from games does not mean the team can take time off. He also will be undergoing significant travel over this time, so a true team effort will be needed to carry the team into the postseason.

The team will be taking things one step at a time, and the next step is the August 30 matchup against Nashville, who are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with 38 points.

For more than 80 minutes, Italy could not capitalize on its scoring chances.

Seeing her team's desperation rising, Italian coach Milena Bertolini substituted in Cristiana Girelli during the 83rd minute.

Four minutes later Girelli found the back of the net and gave Italy a 1-0 victory over Argentina in their 2023 Women's World Cup opener. Lisa Boattin assisted on the goal, sending through an excellent cross that was Girelli was able to head past Argentine keeper Vanina Correa.

"When you have a player like Cristiana Girelli on the bench and you see that you can't actually score... My choice was very simple," Bertolini told reporters.

"She's a weapon for us. We had a lot of the ball but just couldn't get it into the net. And so having a player like her on the bench, it's natural that you ask her to take to the pitch."

A decade into her international career, Girelli now has 54 goals over the course of her time playing for Italy. This is the third straight World Cup where she's found the back of the net, having scored 15 of her goals in World Cup matches or qualifiers.

The match saw the two sides trade off possession throughout, with Argentina seemingly satisfied to play for a 0-0 tie. The underdog Argentines had only one shot on goal despite holding possession for 47 percent of the match, while Italy spent most of the first 87 minutes coming up short on goal-scoring chances.

Italy's ability to sub in an elite veteran like Girelli ultimately made the difference, earning a critical three points in Group G play. The Italians will look to add three more points Saturday when they take on Sweden.

Lionel Messi signaled he doesn't intend to represent Argentina when the team looks to defend its World Cup title in 2026.

"I think not. [Qatar] was my last World Cup," he said to Chinese outlet Titan Sports (via ESPN's Adriana Garcia). "I'll see how things go, but as it is right now, no, I won't go to the next World Cup."

The 35-year-old acknowledged in February his age would likely be a prohibitive factor, but he left the door open on one more World Cup run.

Messi's impending move to Inter Miami and MLS also represents him taking a bit of a step back. He seemingly has some good years left, but leaving Europe means he'll no longer be competing at the highest levels of the sport.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner hasn't walked away from the international game entirely. He was included in the Argentina roster ahead of the team's upcoming friendlies against Australia and Indonesia.

It seems reasonable to assume he'll want to compete in the 2024 Copa América as well since that's not too far into the future. La Albiceleste are the reigning champions in that tournament.

But it will be fitting if the lasting image of Messi in the World Cup is him being carried by his teammates as he holds the trophy aloft.

The 2022 World Cup was arguably the crowning achievement of Messi's legendary career. In addition to Argentina's team triumph, he was the Golden Ball winner, which is awarded to the best overall player, after he registered seven goals and three assists.

World-class athletes don't often get to exit on top. That's exactly what Messi will get to enjoy should he opt against donning the Argentina shirt in three years' time.

Lionel Messi will be the subject of a four-part documentary series on Apple TV+ that will cover his FIFA World Cup career, which culminated with him leading the Argentina national team to victory in Qatar last year.

"The series filmed in Paris, Qatar and Argentina, tracks the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner through his five FIFA World Cup appearances and his FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 win, in one of the most exciting finals in history," a press release stated. "In his own words, Messi tells the definitive story of his incredible career with the Argentina national football team, providing an intimate and unprecedented look at his quest for a legacy-defining World Cup victory."

The documentary will feature behind-the-scenes access to Messi while he was in Qatar in 2022. The 35-year-old opened up in personal interviews, and there will be conversations with his teammates, coaches, competitors, fans and commentators discussing his legendary impact. It will also detail his rise from his first match as a member of the Argentina national team to becoming one of the greatest players of all time.

Prior to filming the documentary, Messi had mapped out his dream scenario for the series:

"It would be the ultimate experience to win a World Cup and to be able to close out my career in that way. I've daydreamed about it after many years of fighting for it. I made a million possibilities of what could happen … the first match, the round of 16, the quarterfinals, the semifinal and the final. I'm also going to live it as something special, because it's the last one. To finish my last year winning a World Cup would be the dream ending."

He did exactly what he sought to do, creating a storybook ending that will surely be enjoyed by fans who tune in to the upcoming documentary. The series does not yet have a title or a release date.

Lionel Messi said in a recent interview that he's open to playing in the 2026 World Cup but age may ultimately prevent him from doing so.

The 35-year-old made the remarks to Argentine daily sports newspaper Diario Olé (h/t ESPN).

"Because of age it'll be difficult to make 2026," Messi said.

"I love playing football, and while I feel like I'm in good shape and enjoying this, I'm going to keep at it. It seems like a long time until the next World Cup, but it depends on how my career is going."

Messi previously said that 2022 would mark his last-ever World Cup, but it appears he's at least open to the idea of playing in the next one based on his latest comments.

The next World Cup will take place in 2026 from June 3 to July 8 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Messi would turn 39 years old during the tournament.

It's hard to know where Messi will be in three-plus years, but he's certainly still in top form right now in his mid-30s. He just led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title thanks to seven goals, including two in the final against France.

Messi has also dominated Ligue 1 play this year for Paris Saint-Germain, amassing nine goals and 10 assists in 17 starts.