JAKARTA – Lionel Messi’s physical condition ahead of the 2026 World Cup has attracted the attention of the football world. However, the Inter Miami star is not the only concern for Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni as he finalizes the player list for the tournament.
Messi’s hamstring problem does not jeopardize his participation in his sixth World Cup. Scaloni said on Tuesday, May 26, local time, that although the injury did not look bad, the Argentina captain would not be present at the training camp ahead of the tournament at the Lionel Messi Training Ground, Buenos Aires.
“The initial update is not entirely bad. Now, we have to wait to see how it progresses, while waiting for the results of further tests to see if it confirms the initial medical report,” Scaloni said in an interview with DSports.
Messi asked to be replaced in the 73rd minute in Inter Miami’s 6-4 win over Philadelphia Union on Monday, May 25, 2026 WIB.
A day later, Inter Miami said in a statement that Messi suffered a muscle fatigue in his left hamstring and his return to play would depend on the progress of his condition in the coming days and weeks.
“We all hope Messi can join the squad in a fully fit condition, but that’s not the reality. Not just him, many players who have not fully recovered from injuries.”
“Our main priority now is their rehabilitation to ensure they reach the 2026 World Cup in peak condition,” Scaloni said.
Argentina’s fitness concerns extend to the entire squad. 2022 World Cup hero and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez suffered a broken ring finger on his right hand during warm-up for last week’s Europa League final.
The injury did not prevent him from playing in his club’s victory over Freiburg. He is expected to be fit to take his place in goal for the 2026 World Cup opener against Algeria on June 16, 2026.
Meanwhile, Tottenham defender Cristian Romero is racing to recover from a ligament injury in his right knee. Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid) and Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate) – two right-backs projected on Scaloni’s final list – are suffering from muscle injuries.
In addition, Como midfielder Nico Paz missed his club’s last game in Serie A due to a knee injury. Finally, Atletico Madrid winger Nicolas Gonzalez is in the final stages of recovering from a muscle injury.
Scaloni said that all injured players will be evaluated until the announcement of the final squad, which will be submitted to FIFA no later than June 2, 2026.
None of the players mentioned above, including Messi, are expected to feature in Argentina’s warm-up matches before the 2026 World Cup.
Because of that, Scaloni has expanded his list of players for the upcoming friendly matches against Honduras on June 6, 2026 at Texas A&M Stadium and Iceland on June 9, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama.
The manager has called up goalkeeper Santiago Beltran and wingers Joaquin Freitas (both from River Plate), midfielder Tomas Aranda (Boca Juniors), Simon Escobar (Velez Sarsfield), defender Ignacio Ovando (Rosario Central), fullback Nicolas Capaldo (Hamburg), and Agustin Giay (Palmeiras).
“Despite the fact that they are young and we see them as future national team players, we are calling them because something could happen between the time the initial squad list is completed and our first game.”
“It was a period where we still had the opportunity to make changes,” Scaloni said.
The World Cup holders plan to set up their base at the Sporting KC training facility next week and will depart for there on June 1, 2026.
Argentina will begin Group J play against Algeria on June 16, 2026 in Kansas City, before facing Austria on June 22, 2026 and Jordan on June 27, 2026, with the final two games in Arlington, Texas.
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