Leonardo Balerdi injured, ruled out of the 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

A major blow for the Argentina National Team just days before the start of the 2026 World Cup. During Saturday morning’s training session, the worst news was confirmed in the Albiceleste camp: defender Leonardo Balerdi suffered a muscle tear and has officially been ruled out of football’s biggest stage.

The former Boca Juniors youth player, who had been earning an important place in the coaching staff’s plans, is expected to need 21 days to recover. That meant he would miss the entire group stage, forcing decisive action.

The Argentine Football Association confirmed it through the following official medical report: Defender Leonardo Balerdi suffered a muscle injury in the soleus of his right leg and will not be part of the squad that will play in the World Cup.

Leo Balerdi will miss football’s biggest stage. Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images.

Scaloni decides on his replacement for the 2026 World Cup

With confirmation that Balerdi will not be part of the squad, Lionel Scaloni’s coaching staff was forced to act quickly to have a player at 100% fitness from the opening match.

It is worth remembering FIFA’s rules for these cases of force majeure: participating teams have until one day before the start of their first match in the competition to make changes to the final squad list, as long as they involve serious injuries verified by the medical committee.

In the face of this unfortunate setback, attention immediately turns to the reserve list that Scaloni had prepared. The leading candidate to join the delegation and fill the vacant spot is Marcos Senesi. Lautaro Di Lollo is also on that list.

Keep reading:

Argentina vs. Honduras: time, TV and lineups

Argentina confirmed its squad numbers for the 2026 World Cup: what number each player will wear

2026 World Cup: dates and kick-off times for all matches

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.