Lionel Messi has been sidelined from Argentina's upcoming friendly matches in the United States due to a hamstring injury, as confirmed by the Argentina Football Association on March 18. The Inter Miami star was set to participate in friendlies against El Salvador in Philadelphia on Friday and Costa Rica in Los Angeles on March 26.

However, the 36-year-old Argentine captain has not recovered after sustaining a hamstring tweak during Miami's CONCACAF Champions Cup victory over Nashville last week.

Messi, who was substituted during the Nashville match, was absent from Miami's subsequent win over D.C. United in Washington on Saturday.

"The captain of Argentina, Lionel Messi, will not be able to join the squad for the friendlies in the USA due to a minor injury to his right leg hamstring suffered in his team's match against Nashville SC," stated the Argentine federation in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Miami coach Gerardo Martino hinted after Saturday's victory over Washington that Messi might miss the March internationals, emphasizing the team's priority to ensure his fitness for next month's CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals.

"It is clear that our objective is for him to play in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. We're not willing to take any risks," Martino affirmed.