NEW DELHI:Lionel Messi, the star player of Argentina, will be absent from the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia due to anankle injurysustained during theCopa America finalagainst Colombia, whereArgentinaemerged victorious with a 1-0 scoreline.As a result of Messi's unavailability, coach Lionel Scaloni has recalledPaulo Dybalato the national squad on Monday.Dybala, who plays as a forward for Roma, has not featured in an international match since March 2023. However, Messi's absence could provide him with an opportunity to increase his tally of 38 caps for the national team.Another notable absentee from the squad isAngel Di Maria, who recently announced his retirement from international football.Currently, Argentina sits atop the South American qualifying table for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.The top six teams in the 10-nation table will secure automatic qualification for the finals.Argentina is scheduled to host Chile on September 6 before traveling to Barranquilla to face Colombia four days later under the guidance of coach Scaloni.Squad:Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa/ENG), Juan Musso (Atalanta/ITA), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille/FRA),Walter Benitez(PSV Eindhoven/NED)Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla/ESP), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille/FRA), Cristian Romero (Tottenham/ENG), German Pezzella (River Plate), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica/POR), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United/ENG), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon/FRA), Valentin Barco (Sevilla/ESP).Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez (West Ham/ENG), Leandro Paredes (Roma/ITA), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool/ENG), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Ezequiel Fernandez (Al Qadsiah/KSA), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea/ENG), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham/ENG)Forwards: Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United/ENG), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina/ITA), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/ITA), Valentin Carboni (Monza/ITA) Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Valentin Castellanos (Lazio/ITA), Matias Soule (Roma/ITA), Paulo Dybala (Roma/ITA)
