Argentina defender Leonardo Balerdi has been officially ruled out of the upcoming World Cup 2026 after suffering a sudden muscle injury during a training session on Saturday.
According to Argentine media outlets, the Marseille center-back sustained the injury during the Albiceleste’s group training. Immediate and comprehensive medical tests confirmed that the defender will not be fit in time for the global tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Balerdi is facing a recovery period of at least 21 days. Consequently, manager Lionel Scaloni made the definitive decision to withdraw him from the squad and call up a replacement.
Tottenham’s New Signing Marcos Senesi Expected to Replace Injured Balerdi
While Balerdi’s replacement has not been officially announced, reliable sources indicate that Marcos Senesi is the favorite to fill the void. The former Bournemouth center-back, who recently sealed a high-profile transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, is expected to join the squad shortly.
This unfortunate setback echoes Argentina’s pre-tournament crisis from the 2022 World Cup, where Scaloni was forced to make late, dramatic squad changes by dropping Joaquin Correa and Nicolas Gonzalez due to last-minute injuries.
Argentina is scheduled to face Honduras in a friendly match on Sunday morning, followed by a final warm-up game against Iceland on Wednesday. The reigning world champions will then officially launch their World Cup defense against Algeria on June 17th.
