Buenos Aires, Argentina – Lionel Scaloni, the coach of the Argentine national team, reassured fans about the injury suffered by team captain Lionel Messi, just weeks before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
Messi had raised concerns after leaving his team Inter Miami’s last match with pain in his left hamstring, sparking speculation about his availability for the World Cup.
Media reports confirmed that initial indications did not point to a serious injury, which was consistent with Scaloni’s statements expressing cautious optimism about the condition of the Argentina captain.
Scaloni said, in statements reported by the Spanish newspaper “Sport”: “The initial news is not too bad. But Messi will undergo further tests in the coming period”.
He added: “It is too early to determine his final status, and we hope that he has not suffered any worrying injury. We have to wait to see the results of the tests and how things will develop”.
He continued: “We were watching the match from the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association, and we saw Messi ask to be substituted, which seemed normal at that moment”.
The Argentina coach concluded his remarks by saying: “We will wait for the results of the new tests to fully confirm the nature of the injury”.
Messi, 38, is expected to play in his final World Cup tournament on the international stage. This will be his sixth appearance in the competition, having previously led Argentina to victory in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Argentina is in Group 10 of the 2026 World Cup, along with Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
