Football

Lionel Messi, the legendary Argentine footballer, will not be participating in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. The decision was announced by coach Javier Mascherano, who included four World Cup winners in the squad, including striker Julián Álvarez and defender Nicolás Otamendi.Messi, 37, has been struggling with injuries this year and is currently competing in the Copa America, where Argentina is aiming to defend its continental title. The Copa America victory in 2021 served as a catalyst for Argentina's triumph at the 2022 World Cup.Messi won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, his only Olympic appearance. The Olympic men's soccer tournament is reserved for under-23 teams, but three older players are permitted on each squad.Mascherano, who won Olympic gold as a player in 2004 and 2008, will add goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli, Otamendi, and Álvarez to his squad after the Copa America concludes. Midfielder Claudio Echeverri, a recent signing for Manchester City from River Plate, will also join the team.Argentina will play two friendlies in France before its Olympic soccer tournament opener against Morocco on July 24. Argentina and Morocco are in Group B along with Iraq and Ukraine.