Sports news morning of March 18: Messi injured, Argentina team may face difficulties ahead

Messi withdraws from Argentina team due to injury; Ronaldo's team faces big challenge in AFC Champions League Elite... are the main news in the sports news section on the morning of March 18.

Messi injured and had to withdraw from the Argentina team - Photo: REUTERS

Messi withdraws from Argentina team due to injury

Superstar Lionel Messi cannot join the Argentina squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup South American qualifiers due to injury.

Messi felt pain after Inter Miami beat Atlanta United 2-1 in the Major League Soccer (MLS). Medical tests showed that Messi had a minor injury to his adductor muscle. This forced the 36-year-old striker to withdraw from the Argentina team.

Messi's absence has caused many difficulties for Argentina because the Tango team has to face two strong opponents, Uruguay and Brazil.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America, Argentina is temporarily leading the group with 25 points, 5 points more than the second-placed team, Uruguay.

Ronaldo's team faces big challenge in AFC Champions League Elite

Ronaldo and Al Nassr face big challenges in AFC Champions League Elite 2024-2025 - Photo: REUTERS

The draw for the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-2025 pits Al Nassr against Yokohama Marinos (Japan). This is a strong opponent and is considered a top candidate for the championship. Therefore, the challenge for Ronaldo and his teammates is quite big.

Besides the big match between Al Nassr and Yokohama Marinos, the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-2025 also have other notable matches: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) - Gwangju (Korea), Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia) vs. Buriram United (Thailand) and Al Sadd (Qatar) vs. Kawasaki Frontale (Japan).

Anthony Joshua suffers serious injury

Anthony Joshua will not be able to fight until June this year due to injury - Photo: REUTERS

Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that British boxer Anthony Joshua has suffered a serious injury.

Specifically, Eddie Hearn said Joshua suffered a wrist injury and had to rest for at least 8-10 weeks. That means Antony Joshua cannot fight from now until June. The injury is also said to seriously affect Joshua's ability to fight in 2025. Currently, organizers are working hard to realize the super boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tin-tuc-the-thao-sang-18-3-messi-chan-thuong-tuyen-argentina-co-the-kho-khan-truoc-mat-20250318052246381.htm