Argentina has been stripped of its star power.
The country’s men’s national team faces bad news regarding its final Copa America group stage match on Saturday against Peru, as Lionel Messi will not be on the pitch due to a right leg injury.
This came after Messi hurt his right leg during a 1-0 win against Chile on Tuesday.
“Leo had an issue in the last match. He won’t be joining us in the next one. We’re going day by day, and awaiting his evolution,” Argentina assistant Walter Samuel said in a press conference Friday.
However, Argentina and its fans were relieved to receive a positive update on Messi’s health evaluation — the strain in his leg is considered minimal, Argentine outlet TYCSports reported.
Adding to the mess, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni will also not be present at Hard Rock Stadium after CONMEBOL announced Friday that he was suspended for their upcoming match due to game delays against Chile.
Messi now gets nine days to recover before playing in a quarterfinal matchup between Ecuador or Mexico, which will kick off July 4 in Houston.
Messi’s absence quickly had effects on ticket prices, as the average listed ticket has decreased by 22 percent following the injury news, Vivid Seats told USA Today on Friday.
Previously, Argentina vs. Peru was the most in-demand ticket for the tournament, with the average price being $515, which is about $200 more than Argentina’s tournament opener against Canada, Vivid Seats said.
But Argentina is far from rudderless without Messi.
In its first match against Canada, Messi was not at his best, and Argentina still cruised to a 2-0 victory.
That night it was Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez who stepped up to the plate.
The teams will start play at 8 p.m. Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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