Messi hit by major blow ahead of Finalissima vs. Spain as key Argentina midfielder likely ruled out
Argentina are entering a crucial period in their road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Next month, they will compete for a title when they face Spain in the Finalissima, the tournament that brings together the champions of Europe and South America. In this context, a key teammate of Lionel Messi could be sidelined due to injury.
“Giovani Lo Celso suffers a myotendinous injury to the rectus femoris muscle in his right thigh,” Real Betis reported on Tuesday in a statement published on their official website. “The Argentine player has suffered a moderate proximal myotendinous injury to the rectus femoris muscle in his right thigh as a result of an accidental collision during the match against PAOK.”
The injury occurred nearly two weeks ago during a UEFA Europa League match on January 22 in Greece. Initially, the expectation was that the 29-year-old midfielder would miss just a couple of games before returning to action, but medical tests revealed a much more complex situation.
“His return to the squad will depend on how the injury progresses,” Betis limited themselves to stating. However, reports suggest the timeline could be significantly longer. “Gio Lo Celso suffered a muscular injury that will take him at least a month to recover from,” Argentine insider Gaston Edul said on his X account.
“At Betis, they anticipated a possible absence of some duration for Lo Celso,” Diario AS reported, predicting an even more pessimistic timeline than the one shared by Edul: “His absence could last just over two months.”
Lo Celso almost ruled out for the Finalissima
The news of Giovani Lo Celso’s injury is far from ideal for Lionel Scaloni, as it inevitably casts doubt over the midfielder’s participation in Argentina’s next challenge: the Finalissima against Spain, scheduled for March 27 in Doha, Qatar.
If the most optimistic forecasts hold true, Lo Celso could recover by early or mid-March, giving him roughly two weeks to regain his best form and rejoin the Argentine squad. In other words, it would be a tight timeline.
If reality aligns more with the pessimistic forecasts and the midfielder needs at least two months to return, his presence in the Finalissima will be ruled out, and he would not play again until April.
Another injury complicates Lo Celso’s career
In recent years, injuries have been a nightmare for Giovani Lo Celso. In fact, this was one of the main reasons Tottenham let him go before his return to Real Betis. In Spain, he has struggled to maintain consistent performance for the same reasons.
The start of this injury streak came in the weeks leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At that time, Lo Celso was a key player for Argentina and Messi’s main creative partner on the field. But a serious muscle injury while playing for Villarreal kept him out of that tournament, depriving him of the chance to become a world champion. Now, a similar situation again puts his future with Argentina in doubt.