Why Leo Messi didn't play: Lionel Scaloni explains | OneFootball

The Argentine National Team’s 1-0 victory over Venezuela in a friendly match did not feature Lionel Messi on the field, but he was present in the stands at Hard Rock Stadium. The reason the “Pulga” was not part of the action was a decision made by coach Lionel Scaloni, although Messi did attend the match with his family to closely follow the game.

The reason behind the absence of the number ten is that the coaching staff prioritized giving him some rest, due to the overload of matches he played with Inter Miami in the past month—seven games in just 27 days. Additionally, this series of matches included long trips to New York and Toronto, which were especially important as they marked the end of the MLS regular season, with the Herons already out of the race for the Supporters’ Shield but still seeking the best possible position in the playoffs.

Before the match, Scaloni had confirmed that Messi would not take part and explained his reasons: “We have spoken with him, these are matches to try things and observe, but we’ll talk with him and decide. I’d like to try different alternatives because these matches are for that.” Thus, the captain stayed in the stands, and the coach’s stance was reaffirmed in his post-match press conference: “He didn’t play because I decided so.”

Nevertheless, the Albiceleste captain was present at the Miami stadium with his family. From one of the boxes, he closely followed the action, enjoying some mate and paying close attention to what was happening with his teammates, who secured the win thanks to Giovani Lo Celso’s goal in the first half.

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