MIAMI — Lionel Messi was left off the Argentina national team roster for a pair of upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers, indicating that the captain and Inter Miami star is being rested as he continues to recover from a right ankle ligament injury that he sustained during the July 14 Copa America final.

Messi has not played since that day and as of last week had not returned to field training with Inter Miami. He has missed 11 Inter Miami games in a row since June 1, five while playing for Argentina in Copa America and six due to the injury.

He wore a protective boot for a few weeks after the injury, shed that about two weeks ago and has been working out in the gym with team trainers. Once he is deemed ready to return to field training, it could be weeks before he can play in a game.

Typically, injured players on the mend require at least one week, often more, working on the field 1-on-1 with a trainer before joining group workouts. Then, it can be another week before they participate in contact drills.

Nine games remain in the MLS regular season, which resumes Saturday after a month-long break for Leagues Cup. Miami plays at home against FC Cincinnati and will be extra hungry after being humiliated 6-1 on the road the last time they met in July.

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino has said he is eager to have a full roster, including Messi, by the end of the month. Last week he reported that Messi is improving every day but had no estimate for his return to training.

It seems unlikely Messi would be ready by Saturday. A more realistic date would be Aug. 31, when Miami has a road game against the Chicago Fire, but that may even be too soon.

After that, there is a two-week MLS break for the FIFA international window. Argentina has World Cup qualifying matches against Chile on Sept. 5 in Buenos Aires and against Colombia, a rematch of the Copa America final, on Sept. 10 in Barranquilla. But Messi will not be participating in those.

Inter Miami then has four games in September: at home against Philadelphia, on the road at Atlanta, on the road at New York City FC, and home against Charlotte. The final three games of the season are Oct. 2 on the road at Columbus, Oct. 5 on the road at Toronto and Oct. 19 at home against New England.

Miami finished in 14th place in the Eastern Conference last year and failed to make the playoffs. This year, the team is virtually guaranteed a playoff spot. The top seven teams get in, and the eighth and ninth place teams enter a play-in. Miami is in first place with 53 points (16 wins, four losses, five ties), which would have been enough to make the playoffs the past three seasons.

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