Simply over eight months stay till the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Argentina will arrive seeking to defend the title they received in Qatar 2022, and having Lionel Messi and the remainder of the squad’s stars out there will likely be essential. Nonetheless, one vital participant received’t be on the sector for the opening match of the match.
On Tuesday, FIFA printed an inventory of gamers nonetheless serving suspensions from the September worldwide break, and Nicolas Otamendi was amongst them. The Benfica defender was despatched off throughout the World Cup qualifier towards Ecuador and acquired a one-match suspension, together with a tremendous of 5,000 Swiss francs (round $6,300).
With South America’s World Cup qualifiers having ended final month, Otamendi not has the chance to serve the suspension throughout that competitors. Beneath these circumstances, the Argentine defender should look ahead to the subsequent official FIFA match to serve the ban.
Argentina’s calendar contains 4 friendlies between October and November, which is able to wrap up their 2025 schedule. In March, they’ve yet one more pleasant and, very possible, the Finalissima towards Spain. That match, though official, received’t rely towards fulfilling the suspension, as it’s not a FIFA-organized match however relatively co-hosted by UEFA and CONMEBOL.
Nicolas Otamendi of Argentina.
All of this results in a troublesome consequence for Argentina: Otamendi may have no selection however to serve his one-match ban within the opening recreation of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage. That’s in keeping with Article 9.2 of the FIFA rules: “Pending match suspensions imposed on account of a direct or an oblique crimson card in matches within the preliminary competitors of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will likely be carried over to the ultimate competitors.”
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Dangerous information for Lionel Messi: Argentina star misses US October tour as a result of damage
Related precedents to Otamendi’s case
Nicolas Otamendi’s state of affairs additionally applies to a different South American star. Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was additionally despatched off in the identical match between Ecuador and Argentina and can due to this fact miss his staff’s opening recreation on the 2026 World Cup — a major blow for Ecuador, contemplating the midfielder’s significance.
Though uncommon, instances like these have occurred in earlier tournaments. On the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, a number of gamers missed their groups’ openers as a result of suspensions carried over from earlier matches that hadn’t but been served.
Freddy Guarin missed Colombia’s opener in that match towards Greece, a recreation the South People received 3–0. The identical occurred with Mario Mandzukic, who was unavailable for Croatia’s World Cup opener towards Brazil, a match they misplaced 3–1.
Otamendi’s significance to Argentina
Like Messi, Nicolas Otamendi introduced again in September that he is not going to participate within the subsequent World Cup cycle. That made the match towards Ecuador his closing look in South American qualifiers. Naturally, that additionally means the 2026 match in the USA, Mexico, and Canada would be the defender’s final main competitors at worldwide degree.
see additionally
Argentina Nationwide Group TV Schedule
Otamendi will shut out a profitable run with Argentina that started in 2009 and included three World Cup appearances (South Africa 2010, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022). Over the past 16 years, the defender has collected 4 titles: the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2021 and 2024 Copa America tournaments, and the 2022 Finalissima.
