Injuries are perhaps one of the biggest nightmares of any athlete. Consider USWNT forward Trinity Rodman. Having made a successful bounce back from her back injury that had been nagging her for quite a while, she was bound to make her way in the recent October friendlies. But talk about bad luck; she was forced off Emma Hayes‘ roster after having sustained a new MCL sprain. And just when one hoped such unfortunate cases wouldn’t happen again, another similar situation has emerged in the men’s game, this time involving the Argentinian teammate of Lionel Messi, none other than Paulo Dybala.

Sunday night, two of the greatest Italian sides, AC Milan and AS Roma, locked horns for a crucial Serie A game. The home side took a lead around the 39th minute, courtesy of a goal from Milan defender Strahinja Pavlović. As the rest of the match saw Roma keep trying to find an equalizer, it was finally in the 81st minute that they earned a golden chance, winning a penalty.

The responsibility to do so was given to Paulo Dybala. But instead of slotting it for his team, the 31-year-old ended up missing it, seeing his side endure a defeat. And as if that wasn’t enough to make his night worse, several reports from the Italian media suggest that the former Juventus star ended up injuring himself while taking the kick from the spot. Dubbed as the ‘Next Lionel Messi’ in his younger days, his is certainly not pleasant news for the obvious reasons.

For those unaware, the upcoming weeks will see the Argentina national team release its roster for this month’s international window. Lionel Scaloni’s team will be facing Angola, with the team also gathering to discuss their blueprint for the 2026 World Cup. Not to mention, La Albiceleste have a chance to potentially defend their previous 2022 win.

Unfortunately, in the case of the former US Palermo star, this surely isn’t the first time he has gone through such a moment, especially over the past two years. Simply put, Paulo Dybala might be one of the unluckiest players in the world when it comes to injuries. And the fact that it came at a time when he already faced bad luck makes it even worse.

Well, one can only hope that AS Roma fans have cut their star winger some slack, considering it was his first penalty attempt for the club in all competitions out of 19. The Argentine hadn’t missed a spot-kick in a competitive club match since November 30, 2021, when he was playing for Juventus against Salernitana, a miss that ultimately had little impact on the outcome of that game.

Regardless, for now, the focus remains on Dybala’s injury, as one hopes that he is alright. Otherwise, having been a part of that winning team, it would be a huge blow for him if injury sees him miss his trip to the USA-Canada-Mexico-held tournament. Not to mention that missing a great opportunity to see his friend and teammate Lionel Messi also etching a potential history at the event!

Lionel Messi has a chance to etch history in the 2026 World Cup!

Already at 37, one can give the benefit of the doubt to a player still performing at his peak. But when the name Lionel Messi is associated with this number, there’s absolutely no doubt about it. Though it remains unclear whether the former FC Barcelona man will feature in the 2026 World Cup, doing so would make him the first player ever to appear in six editions of the tournament.

Of course, he won’t be alone, considering his arch-nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 40, with whom he has shared the stage for more than 20 years, is also expected to make an appearance on behalf of Portugal. Both players have already participated in five World Cups, tying the record for the most appearances in the tournament alongside legends like Lothar Matthäus and Gianluigi Buffon.

So, we bet this is shaping up to be an occasion that one simply can’t afford to miss, right?