Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni revealed that the team’s star attraction, Lionel Messi, may be fit enough to even feature in the country’s two pre-World Cup friendlies.
The defending world champion (and every brand which has plastered Messi’s face across anything with a loose connection to the tournament) took a deep inhale of breath when the 37-year-old limped off the pitch in Inter Miami’s final game of May.
What was first written off as fatigue soon got upgraded to a hamstring concern. Scaloni was initially as in the dark as everyone else about Messi’s fitness, but subsequent tests and his reaction to a form of light training has boosted hopes of a swift return.
“Leo is doing well,” the World Cup-winning coach told reporters Friday. “Leo trained for a part with the group, which is important. He’s not fully separated; he’s coming along.
“He may be part of the friendly matches, getting some minutes in these two friendlies. We’ll see if it’s the one tomorrow or the next one. But he’s doing a lot better and that gives us tranquility.”
Argentina’s Upcoming Fixtures
| Date | Opponent | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, June 6 | Honduras | Friendly |
| Tuesday, June 9 | Iceland | Friendly |
| Tuesday, June 16 | Algeria | World Cup Group Stage |
| Monday, June 22 | Austria | World Cup Group Stage |
| Saturday, June 27 | Jordan | World Cup Group Stage |
Messi’s Injury History for Argentina Points to World Cup Decision
When it comes to Messi’s fitness, Scaloni is comfortable enough to let the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner decide his own status. As the former right back has freely admitted: “Every decision we’ve made, we’ve discussed it with him.”
However, rather than a case of Messi taking himself out of the firing line, he has repeatedly forced himself to push through the pain barrier while representing his country.
The 2024 Copa América final was one of the few occasions when Messi gave in to the agony, limping out of a bruising fixture against Colombia with a quarter of the contest left to play. Watching on from the sidelines, Messi was briefly reduced to tears before his teammates won the title in his absence.
“He wanted to play soccer; he wants to keep playing regardless of whether it’s a final or not,” Scaloni recalled of that game in an interview with Olé. “To leave the field like that—that’s terrible, especially since he’s been so loyal to us: there are things I can’t even describe about how he’s played for us.
“And you think to yourself: if he’s leaving, it’s because something’s really wrong. In fact, after that final, he was out for—I don’t know how long. That gives you an idea of what he’s like.”
Messi suffered ligament damage in his ankle during the final and didn’t make his return to Inter Miami for two months, the longest consecutive injury absence of his career since he fractured his metatarsal as a teenager for Barcelona in 2006.
If there is any chance of Messi getting on the pitch this summer, he’s going to take it.
