The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just a few weeks away and the defending champions, the Argentina national football team, are once again led by head coach Lionel Scaloni.
However, the team is currently navigating a somewhat concerning health issue involving 38-year-old captain Lionel Messi, whose status became uncertain after calling for a substitution during Sunday’s Inter Miami CF match against the Philadelphia Union.
Messi exited the match in the 73rd minute and headed straight to the locker room. After undergoing testing on Monday, he was diagnosed with a strain related to muscle fatigue in his left hamstring — a result that was far from the worst-case scenario.
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Argentina’s initial reaction was that “the first news is not so bad,” and Scaloni later addressed the injury and how the team plans to handle the situation moving forward.
“The initial reports aren’t so bad,” Scaloni said. “Naturally, we’d prefer that nothing had happened to him.
“Now, we have to wait to see how it progresses and, above all, the new tests they’re going to do.”
Argentina begins its pre-tournament international friendlies on June 6, which would ideally include Lionel Messi, though his availability is not considered a necessity since the matches do not count toward the tournament standings.
Group play will begin on June 16, with Argentina set to compete in Group J against Algeria national football team, Austria national football team, and Jordan national football team.
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