Coach Lionel Scaloni said Lionel Messi did not feel ready, so Argentina did not want to risk using the 36-year-old superstar in the match against Bolivia.

Argentina was surprised when they did not include Lionel Messi in the squad for the match against Bolivia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America. The 36-year-old superstar still came to the field to watch his teammates win 3-0 against the home team.

Explaining Lionel Messi’s absence, coach Lionel Scaloni said: “Messi doesn’t feel ready. Yesterday, he tried practicing but felt uncomfortable. Because of that, we decided not to take any risks with him. Argentina still has many important matches ahead. If we let him play from the bench today, there is also a potential risk of injury.”

Previously, Lionel Messi left the field in the 89th minute, after scoring a superb free kick to help Argentina win 1-0 against Ecuador in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifier on September 8. At that time, Lionel Messi said he was a little tired but still fine. This striker was also determined not to be injured during a health check on September 11.

On a day without Lionel Messi, Argentina still defeated Bolivia 3-0 despite having to be a guest at Hernando Siles Stadium. The scorers for the defending World Cup champions were Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Tagliafico and Nicolas Gonzalez.

Argentina is currently ranked 2nd in the 2026 World Cup qualifying rankings in South America with the same 6 points as Brazil but with a lower sub-index. In the upcoming October series, Argentina will be a guest of Peru and host Uruguay.