Lionel Messi fitness update as Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni given ‘peace of mind’ ahead of World Cup campaign
Updated 06/06/2026 at 16:57 GMT+1
React to this story
Lionel Messi has taken a big step forward as he pushes to be ready for defending champions Argentina’s World Cup campaign, according to manager Lionel Scaloni.
Scaloni given 'peace of mind' by positive Messi fitness update
Video credit: SNTV
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was substituted in the second half of Inter Miami's Major League Soccer victory over Philadelphia Union on May 24 with "muscle fatigue".
While his withdrawal was deemed precautionary, there was widespread concern that the 38-year-old's World Cup preparation might be hindered.
But Scaloni has revealed that Messi is in good shape as Argentina build up to their first match of the tournament - against Algeria in Kansas City on Wednesday, June 17 - with friendlies against Honduras and Iceland.
"Leo's doing well," Scaloni said in a press conference. "He has already trained with the group for part of the session.
"He is no longer training alone. He is progressing quite well, and might feature in these matches. He is doing much better, and that gives us peace of mind."
Scaloni's final 26-player squad for the tournament was eagerly awaited, with Messi now set to play in a sixth World Cup.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/12/05/image-e399d51c-42ff-46e2-a594-d5256f59501b-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'Expect something extraordinary' - Messi holds high expectations for the 2026 World Cup
Video credit: SNTV
"I sent him a message, and he said he had been waiting to hear if he'd been named," Scaloni said. "Okay, well he's called up.
"Everyone was waiting to see if there would be an announcement, me too. In the end, he did what every player does - waited to be called up.
"It gave me a tremendous sense of calm when he told me he wasn't going to make an announcement, he'd just wait to be called up. That's what happened.
"I only had contact with him when I saw it was the right moment, a little bit before the announcement and the list of players was almost confirmed, to check and that was his response."
- Where are England based for the 2026 World Cup?
- Who has the supercomputer tipped to win?
- When will Messi and Ronaldo face off at World Cup?
Argentina will hope Messi is fully fit for the group stage in North America, with games against Austria and Jordan to follow the opener.
The former Barcelona star played all seven games in Qatar four years ago, scoring seven goals and helping his country to a memorable triumph over France in the final.
It remains to be seen if Scaloni will choose to manage his minutes in a World Cup with more matches and a more forgiving group stage, with three teams potentially progressing to the round of 32.
Alvarez injury latest
Argentina are also sweating on the fitness of midfielder Leandro Paredes and forward Julian Alvarez, who both arrived at the camp with minor injury issues.
"The situation is improving," Scaloni said. "They're fine, and we don't want to risk them in these games, and the idea is surely that [the injured players] won't take part in these friendlies.
"In this one [against Honduras], definitely not. In the second, there might be a chance that one of them could play.
"For now, everything is going quite well, and next week we'll see."
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.
Stream the Premier League, men’s and women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement