Lionel Messi faces a big injury worry in his last Inter Miami game before the World Cup.
Lionel Messi raised some worries about a possible injury during his last game with Inter Miami before the World Cup.
The 38-year-old asked to come off in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami’s exciting 6-4 win over Philadelphia Union and went straight down the tunnel after leaving the field.
Before asking to be substituted, Messi was seen walking slowly around the pitch. He then rolled up his shorts, touched the back of his left leg as if feeling something, and talked to the team staff on the bench.
Mateo Silvetti quickly replaced him when the score was tied 4-4. After the game, Inter Miami’s coach Guillermo Hoyos said it was too early to know how serious the issue was and that the team didn’t want to take any chances with their star player.
Even though Messi is 38, it’s rare for him to be taken off during a game. This season, he had played every minute of Inter Miami’s last 13 league matches, two CONCACAF Champions League games, and an Argentina friendly in March.
Hoyos said, “We don’t have all the details yet, but soon we will. He’s tired. The field was heavy, and when in doubt, you don’t take risks.”
Messi played in Inter Miami’s last match before MLS pauses for the World Cup in North America this summer. The Barcelona legend will captain Argentina as they try to win the World Cup again after their 2022 victory in Qatar.
Argentina, coached by Lionel Scaloni, will play friendly matches against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9 before the tournament. They will start the World Cup by facing Algeria, then play Austria and Jordan in the group stage.
Messi’s fitness will be a big focus for Argentina leading up to what is expected to be his last big international tournament.
The forward will turn 39 next month but is still a key player for his club. This season, he has scored 13 goals and provided 7 assists in 16 games. In the 6-4 win over Philadelphia, he also made two assists before his fitness scare.