Leonardo Balerdi Ruled Out of Argentina’s World Cup Campaign After Suffering Calf Injury

Key Takeaways:

• Leonardo Balerdi suffered a right calf injury during a training session prior to a friendly against Honduras
• The initial prognosis suggested a two to three week absence, but Balerdi has withdrawn from the World Cup squad
• He has amassed 11 caps for Argentina and was set to help defend their world champion status in North America

Setback for Argentina and Marseille

Olympique de Marseille’s defender and former captain Leonardo Balerdi, aged 27, has been ruled out of participating in the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The Argentine international, who has appeared 11 times for his national team, had travelled to North America with aspirations of aiding Argentina’s bid to retain their world champion title.

[BOMBAZO] 🚨🇦🇷 Guido Rodriguez y Máximo Perrone están siendo considerados para reemplazar a Leonardo Balerdi.

¿El motivo? Creen que el cupo de defensores está cubierto y necesitan un mediocampista más por la situación física de Leandro Paredes (desgarrado).

ℹ️ cc… pic.twitter.com/HTJRdkOk7c

— RENZO PANTICH (@RenzoMPantich) June 9, 2026

Details of the Injury

Balerdi sustained a right calf injury during a training session held ahead of a scheduled friendly fixture against Honduras, one of Argentina’s preparations for the tournament commencing on Thursday. The incident forced Balerdi to exit the session prematurely, and it soon became evident that the injury would keep him sidelined not only for the warm-up match, but ultimately from the World Cup itself.

Timeline and Final Confirmation

Initially, medical assessments indicated that Balerdi might only miss two to three weeks of action, leading to optimism regarding his potential return during the latter stages of the tournament. Nevertheless, it was subsequently confirmed that the centre-back would be unable to recover in time, leading to his formal withdrawal from the squad.

Argentina will now proceed without Balerdi as they begin their campaign to retain the world champion crown in North America.