Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni expressed cautious optimism on Tuesday regarding Lionel Messi’s fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
“Ideally, we would have preferred him to remain unscathed. Now, we must monitor his progress and, crucially, await the results of further tests to confirm the extent of the issue,” Scaloni told the DSports channel.
Messi, 38, requested a withdrawal on Sunday during his final match in MLS – Liga USA before the World Cup, after appearing to pull up with a problem in his left thigh.
His club, Inter Miami, announced on Monday that Lionel Messi is suffering from “overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring” and that “a return to physical activity will depend on the evolution of his clinical and functional status.”
Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos explained after Sunday’s fixture that Messi “was really tired (…) the pitch was heavy, and, when in doubt, the standard approach is always to ensure that no risks are taken.”
“We were watching the match here at our headquarters and saw that he asked to be replaced, which was actually a relief for us,” added Lionel Scaloni.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has had his workload meticulously managed since arriving in MLS with Inter Miami in 2023, with staff regularly resting him during particularly congested periods of the season.
The veteran forward has spent time in the treatment room in recent years due to recurring hamstring issues, which also forced him to miss a portion of Miami’s pre-season preparations earlier in 2026.
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to run from June 11th to July 19th. The Argentina squad, drawn in Group J alongside Algeria, Jordan, and Austria, will launch their title defense on June 16.
If included in the final squad to be announced by Scaloni, Messi would participate in his sixth World Cup, a landmark achievement he would share with, among others, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.