Lionel Messi loses key teammate for Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener

Just over eight months remain until the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Argentina will arrive looking to defend the title they won in Qatar 2022, and having Lionel Messi and the rest of the squad’s stars available will be crucial. However, one important player won’t be on the field for the opening match of the tournament.

On Tuesday, FIFA published a list of players still serving suspensions from the September international break, and Nicolas Otamendi was among them. The Benfica defender was sent off during the World Cup qualifier against Ecuador and received a one-match suspension, along with a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs (around $6,300).

With South America’s World Cup qualifiers having ended last month, Otamendi no longer has the opportunity to serve the suspension during that competition. Under these circumstances, the Argentine defender will have to wait for the next official FIFA tournament to serve the ban.

Argentina’s calendar includes four friendlies between October and November, which will wrap up their 2025 schedule. In March, they have one more friendly and, very likely, the Finalissima against Spain. That match, although official, won’t count toward fulfilling the suspension, as it is not a FIFA-organized tournament but rather co-hosted by UEFA and CONMEBOL.

All of this leads to a tough consequence for Argentina: Otamendi will have no choice but to serve his one-match ban in the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage. That’s in line with Article 9.2 of the FIFA regulations: “Pending match suspensions imposed as a result of a direct or an indirect red card in matches in the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be carried over to the final competition.”

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Nicolas Otamendi’s situation also applies to another South American star. Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was also sent off in the same match between Ecuador and Argentina and will therefore miss his team’s opening game at the 2026 World Cup — a significant blow for Ecuador, considering the midfielder’s importance.