Will Lionel Messi start against Peru? Journalist drops massive update ahead of Argentina's World Cup qualifier

There have been question marks surrounding Lionel Messi's fitness ahead of Argentina's 2026 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL qualifier against Peru on October 18.

Messi, 36, hasn't been at his peak fitness in recent weeks and played no part in his team's 3-0 qualifier win against Bolivia last month. He also missed several games for Inter Miami before returning to action as a substitute in a 1-0 MLS defeat against Cincinnati on October 8.

Messi made a second-half appearance for Argentina in their 1-0 qualifier win against Paraguay. But reputed journalist Gaston Edul now believes he is in line to start for La Albiceleste against Peru in Lima.

Twitch streamer LACOBRAAA replied to Edul's tweet where the latter mentioned that Lionel Messi is looking to play more than 40 minutes against Peru. The streamer replied that he was excited to see the former Barcelona superstar start, to which the journalist said:

"But there is precisely the chance that he will be a starter because he is here for longer than 40."

Later on the same day (October 17), Edul posted a photo of Messi with a simple yet telling caption: Titular. The word, as per Collins dictionary, translates to 'regular first-team player' and 'captain' when taken in the context of sports.

It seems to be a clear indication that the seven-time Ballon d'Or could start against Peru. He will be looking to win his 178th cap for the 2022 FIFA World Cup champions and ensure they maintain their 100 percent start to the qualifying campaign.

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Lionel Messi's Argentina top of the qualifying table after Brazil's slip-up

Argentina have won all three of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers so far. This included wins against Ecuador (1-0), Bolivia, and Paraguay, with Lionel Messi scoring just one goal in the process.

It was an important goal, however, as it won them all three points against Ecuador on matchday one. They are currently top of the 10-man table with nine points, with Brazil in second, trailing their arch-rivals by two points.

The Selecao were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela on October 13 and have a tough match against Uruguay coming up on October 18. Brazil and Argentina will face each other during the November international break (November 22) in what promises to be a feisty encounter.

Lionel Messi will undoubtedly want to be a part of the proceedings in that game. By his high standards, his record against Brazil isn't the best, with just five wins in 13 games where he has found the net five times.