Lionel Messi Injury Update Emerges As Argentina Ramps Up 2026 World Cup Opener Preparations

According to Ireporter Online, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has provided an encouraging update on Lionel Messi’s fitness, revealing that the captain is recovering steadily from a hamstring strain and could feature briefly in upcoming friendly matches as the team fine-tunes preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

Messi, who sustained the injury to his left hamstring during Inter Miami’s most recent match, was initially expected to miss Argentina’s friendly against Honduras. However, Scaloni confirmed on Friday that the 38-year-old forward has already returned to partial training with the national squad, boosting optimism within the camp.

“Leo is doing well; he has already trained partly with the group, and he’s no longer completely separated,” Scaloni told reporters ahead of the fixture. “It’s possible he’ll play a few minutes in the friendlies. We’ll see whether that’s tomorrow’s game or the other one.”

Argentina, the reigning world champions, are set to face Honduras in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, before taking on Iceland in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday. Scaloni noted that Messi’s improvement has brought reassurance to the technical team. “He’s much better and that gives us peace of mind,” he added.

The Argentine squad continues to manage several fitness concerns ahead of the tournament. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has been ruled out of both friendlies after suffering a fractured ring finger during warm-ups ahead of the Europa League final. Juan Musso is expected to start in goal against Honduras, while young River Plate goalkeeper Santiago Beltrán has been included for experience.

In defence, right-backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are still recovering from muscle injuries, prompting call-ups for Agustín Giay and Nicolás Capaldo. Centre-back Cristian Romero has returned to group training after a knee sprain in April but is yet to regain full match sharpness.

Meanwhile, Nicolás Paz is being closely monitored after a knee knock ruled him out of the Honduras clash, while Leandro Paredes and Julián Álvarez arrived at camp with minor fitness issues. Scaloni stressed that the team would avoid taking unnecessary risks with any player before the tournament begins.

“The situation is improving. They’re fine, and we don’t want to risk them in these games,” Scaloni said. “In this one against Honduras, definitely not. In the second, there might be a chance that one of them could play.”

Argentina will open their 2026 World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City, with Messi’s fitness and that of several key players expected to remain a major focus in the final days leading up to the tournament.