Lionel Messi called up by Argentina despite being sidelined by injury for Inter Miami: Reports
Lionel Messi has been called up by Lionel Scaloni for Argentina's World Cup Qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay later this month.
This is despite Messi having missed Inter Miami's last three games, all of which the MLS club did not win.
As per journalist Nico Bravo, La Albiceleste boss Scaloni is willing to take the risk and include Lionel Messi in his squad despite the fact that there are no concrete information available regarding the extent of his injury.
Messi pulled up with discomfort in his hamstring region in the first half of Inter Miami's comprehensive 4-0 win over Toronto on September 21. While he was able to walk off the pitch, his facial expressions and body language did not look encouraging at all as he was visibly in pain. In fact, his discomfort began during the warm-ups itself.
Having guided Argentina to a World Cup triumph last year, Lionel Messi has established himself as the most important player in Scaloni's set-up. While his abilities were never in doubt, Messi quietened his doubters by achieving the pinnacle of footballing success for his country.
Since the start of last season, Messi has amassed 32 goals and 25 assists in 53 club appearances.
It is understandable that both his club and country have remained tight-lipped about the extent of the injury, but it remains to be seen if his inclusion is just a formality or whether he will actually feature in the Qualifiers for Argentina.
Meanwhile, Miami will face Chicago and Cincinnati before the international break and Lionel Messi could make his return if he recovers well.
Lionel Messi unsurprisingly nominated for the Ballon d'Or
Earlier today, the Ballon d'Or's official X (Twitter) account posted a short clip of Messi, confirming his nomination for the 2023 edition of the award.
This is the 16th time the Argentina forward has made it to the final shortlist - an incredible run considering his career has spanned multiple eras of the game.
While Manchester City's Erling Haaland has a very strong case for being named the winner of this prestigious award, Messi's World Cup triumph and his contributions to achieve that could see him beat the Norwegian.
The winner of the Ballon d'Or will be announced on October 30 and Messi could win an unprecedented eighth award later this month.