7M - Injury Rules Leonardo Balerdi Out Of Argentina World Cup Squad

The Argentine Football Association confirmed that defender Leonardo Balerdi will miss the upcoming FIFA World Cup after sustaining a soleus muscle injury during preparations. The Olympique de Marseille center-back will be left out of the final squad, denying him the opportunity to compete in his first World Cup. Although not an undisputed starter under Lionel Scaloni, Balerdi had established himself as a reliable option in the defensive rotation, featuring in challenging South American World Cup Qualifiers against Colombia and Uruguay.

Balerdi provided tactical flexibility to the squad, possessing the ability to operate comfortably in both back-four and three-center-back systems. His composure in possession, anticipation, ball-carrying, and long-range passing made him highly valued by the coaching staff for building attacks from the back. To fill the vacancy, head coach Lionel Scaloni is considering defensive alternatives, with Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi and River Plate center-back German Pezzella emerging as the leading candidates. Argentina will evaluate their roster adjustments during upcoming warm-up matches against Honduras and Iceland before starting their tournament campaign against Algeria.