Lionel Messi of Inter Miami is facing a left hamstring issue, a week before Argentina begins its training camp for the upcoming World Cup title defense. Inter Miami confirmed on Monday that Messi underwent testing and was diagnosed with “an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.” This led to his early exit from Inter Miami’s match on Sunday night against Philadelphia Union.
The recovery timeline for Messi is uncertain and will depend on how well he progresses clinically and functionally, as stated by Inter Miami. During the match, Messi was substituted in the 73rd minute after he was seen clutching at his left leg and stopped playing effectively a few minutes before his removal. Despite this setback, Inter Miami managed a 6-4 victory, with Messi contributing two assists in the first half.
Messi left the field unassisted and headed directly to the team’s locker room. The match conditions included heavy rain during the second half, leaving the field slippery. It remains unclear whether Messi’s discomfort stemmed from a misstep amid these conditions or solely from muscle fatigue. Inter Miami only disclosed that he was substituted due to “physical discomfort.”
Argentina is set to play two friendly matches before the World Cup. The first match is scheduled for June 6 against Honduras in College Station, Texas, followed by a match against Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, on June 9. Both matches will be held in college football stadiums with a combined seating capacity of about 180,000.
In the World Cup, Argentina falls into Group J. The team will face Algeria in Kansas City on June 16, Austria in Arlington, Texas, on June 22, and Jordan in Arlington again on June 27. Messi has already participated in five World Cups, earning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player twice—once in 2014 and again in 2022, leading Argentina to victory. He is the only player to have won this award twice since its inception in 1982.