Argentina received an early World Cup scare on Sunday when Lionel Messi appeared to injure his left hamstring during Inter Miami’s 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Union.
Messi grabbed the back of his leg after taking a free kick midway through the second half, signaled toward the bench and walked directly down the tunnel after being substituted. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now just over two weeks away, the sight of Messi grabbing his hamstring left many holding their breath given his recent history with muscle injuries.
After further medical testing on Monday, Inter Miami released an official statement, describing the injury as “muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.” But the club did not provide a clear return timeline.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Lionel Scaloni Addresses Messi Situation
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about Messi’s condition Tuesday during an exclusive interview with DS Sports.
“We were watching the game here at the training ground and we realized he asked to be substituted and that he wasn’t feeling well,” Scaloni said. “The initial reports aren’t too bad. Obviously, we’d prefer that nothing had happened to him.”
Scaloni added that Argentina’s medical staff will continue monitoring Messi before making any decisions about his workload.
“Now we wait to see how he progresses and, above all, to see in the new tests if it’s really as they say.”
Lionel Scaloni on how he lived Messi's injury: "Well, we were watching the match here at the training ground and we noticed that he asked to come off. The first news isn’t that bad, obviously we would’ve preferred nothing had happened to him, so now we have to wait and see how he…
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) May 26, 2026
The last thing Argentina needs right now is uncertainty around its captain. Messi has led this country through arguably its most glorious stretch in football history.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner helped deliver a Copa América in 2021, a Finalissima and a FIFA World Cup in 2022, and another Copa América in 2024. He is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and the main reason they go into this tournament as favorites to become the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.
Argentina opens the tournament against Algeria on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City before facing Austria and Jordan later in the group stage.
The current timeline still gives Messi close to three weeks to fully recover before the opener. Argentina’s priority now is ensuring the 38-year-old arrives healthy rather than rushing him back too quickly before the tournament begins.
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