Messi injury scare adds tension as Argentina sweat World Cup squad deadline

June 1 is the deadline to submit the final 26-man squads for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada starting on June 11 and coaches of several participating teams are sweating over the fitness of their star players. While Spain coach Luis de la Fuente named injured forwards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams in his squad on Monday, following the inclusion in the Brazil squad of injury-hit Neymar by coach Carlo Ancelotti, it is now the turn of Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni to fret over the fitness of his talisman Lionel Messi.

With about a week before the defending World Cup champions are set to begin their training camp for this summer's title defence, Messi’s latest injury, sustained during his MLS side Inter Miami’s 6-4 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday, has added at least a bit of intrigue to Argentina's plans.

Messi underwent testing on Monday – which almost certainly means an MRI exam, though the team did not divulge what procedures were involved – and was ultimately diagnosed with "an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring" that kept him from finishing Inter Miami's match on Sunday night.

Typically, the timeframe for recovery from such issues is varied depending on the severity.

"The timeline for his return to physical activity will depend on his clinical and functional progress," Inter Miami said in a release.

Messi was subbed out of Inter Miami's match against the Philadelphia Union in the 73rd minute on Sunday. He essentially stopped playing a couple of minutes earlier and was seen grabbing at the back of his left leg at least once before he could be removed for a sub.

Messi walked off the field without any assistance and went directly to the team's locker room.

Heavy rain fell during the second half, leaving the field slippery. It was unknown if Messi took a misstep at any point during the storm or if the conditions were involved in the decision for him to leave the match. All the team said Monday was he was subbed out because of "physical discomfort."

Argentina have a pair of friendlies scheduled in advance of the World Cup, first on June 6 in College Station, Texas, against Honduras and then on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama, against Iceland. Those games will be played in college football stadiums – the home fields of Texas A&M and Auburn – with a combined capacity of about 180,000.

Argentina are in Group J for the World Cup. Their group stage matches are against Algeria, at Kansas City, on June 16; Austria, at Arlington, Texas, on June 22; and Jordan, back in Arlington, on June 27.

Messi has already appeared in five World Cups, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player twice – first in 2014, then again in 2022 when he led Argentina to the title. That award has been given out only since 1982, but he is the lone player to win it twice.

While the football icon has not formally confirmed he plans to play in the World Cup, he is widely expected to return for what would be a record-matching sixth appearance at the finals.