Lionel Messi and Argentina are preparing for the 2026 World Cup, where they will aim to defend the title they won in Qatar in 2022. However, the team has received unfortunate news — an important defensive player will miss their World Cup opener.
It is Nicolas Otamendi, as FIFA announced that the Benfica defender has been handed a one-match suspension for “denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent” (Article 14.1.a) after being sent off in the qualifying match against Ecuador.
The bad news for Argentina is that Otamendi’s suspension cannot be served during friendly matches, even those that are part of the official calendar. This means the defender will be eligible to play in Argentina’s upcoming friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
According to Article 10 of FIFA’s regulations, only accumulated yellow cards from the qualifiers are cleared before the World Cup, while suspensions resulting from red cards carry over into the tournament.
Could Otamendi serve his suspension in the Finalissima?
If Argentina and Spain eventually face each other in the Finalissima — the one-off match between the Copa America and Euro champions, which could be scheduled for March next year — Otamendi would still not be able to serve his suspension there.
This is because the tournament, while recognized by FIFA, is organized jointly by CONMEBOL and UEFA and does not belong to the same competition system as the World Cup Qualifiers or the World Cup itself.
Otamendi isn’t the only player set to miss the 2026 World Cup opener
As a result of the same World Cup Qualifier between Ecuador and Argentina, FIFA also confirmed that Moises Caicedo will miss his team’s 2026 World Cup debut. The Chelsea midfielder was sent off in the same match in which Otamendi received his red card.