Argentina supporters worldwide were left anxious after Lionel Messi left Nu Stadium on Sunday night with an apparent issue in his left leg. Inter Miami CF beat the Philadelphia Union 6-4 in the final Major League Soccer match before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but Messi’s departure became the match’s principal concern.
Messi was seen touching the upper part of his left thigh in the 70th minute before requesting a substitution, a request the captain seldom makes. He was replaced by Mateo Silvetti and walked directly to the locker room without additional assistance.
Whether Messi will be available for the summer tournament depends on his fitness when Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni submits the nation’s 26-player roster to FIFA on June 1. Messi said in October, “I would like to be there. To feel well and to be an important part of helping my national team, if I am there,” and added he planned to assess his condition during Inter Miami’s preseason.
Messi had avoided injury in recent months, but the incident casts doubt on his involvement in the World Cup. In preparation for the tournament, Rodrigo De Paul said he and Messi had been doing double training sessions—working with Inter Miami in the mornings and completing separate afternoon sessions—to reach peak condition. “We committed to a two-a-day schedule with our trainer, and we’re really putting in the work,” De Paul said.
Coaches monitored Messi’s workload throughout the season. Former Miami head coach Javier Mascherano and interim manager Guillermo Hoyos worked to manage his minutes, and both Messi and De Paul sat out Inter Miami’s March 14 match against Charlotte FC during a congested stretch. Other players have also missed end-of-season matches ahead of national team duty, including James Rodríguez, goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and reports that Diego Luna sat out Real Salt Lake’s final pre-World Cup game as a precaution.
