Buenos Aires. Lionel Messi has returned to Argentina's squad for FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia, the South American country's football association has said.
Messi, 37, missed the Albiceleste's September qualifiers against Chile and Colombia due to an ankle injury, but has since returned to the field for his club Inter Miami.
Argentina will play Venezuela on October 10 and Bolivia five days later in Buenos Aires.
The reigning World Cup and Copa America champions currently top the 10team South American group with 18 points from eight matches, two points ahead of secondplaced Colombia.
The top six teams will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be cohosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The seventhplace team will advance to the intercontinental playoff.
Argentina team: Goalkeepers: Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid).
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), German Pezzella (River Plate), Marcos Acuña (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martínez. (Manchester United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon).
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Alexis McAllister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Nicolas Paz (Como), Exquiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Valentin Carboni (Olympique Marseille), Thiago Almada (Botafogo).
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Roma), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan).
—
– .
Image Credit: KhasKhabar.