Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said his country—and the rest of the world—will have to "wait and see" the extent of the damage Lionel Messi suffered playing for Inter Miami on Monday.
Messi was forced to leave the MLS match against Philadelphia Union in the 79th minute, with the score tied at 4–4. Miami's initial medical report revealed muscle fatigue in the left hamstring, setting alarm bells ringing so close to the 2026 World Cup.
Even closing in on his 38th birthday, Messi remains central to Argentina's hopes of becoming the first team in more than 60 years to successfully retain the men's World Cup.
"We were watching the match at the training ground. We realized he asked to be substituted, that he wasn't well," the 2022 World Cup-winning manager told DSports.
"The first reports are not that bad. Logically, we would prefer that nothing had happened to him. Now, we have to wait and see how he progresses."
Scaloni added: "We would have liked him to arrive [in camp] without any kind of problems, but that is not the case with him and with most of the players who have had problems."
All-Time World Cup Record Beckons for Messi
Messi has played 26 World Cup matches since his 2006 debut. Even if he could not play early-round matches, his selection for Argentina seems virtually guaranteed—for all that he has done for the national team in 21 years.
This will be his sixth World Cup, a record he will jointly break with Cristiano Ronaldo, who has already been named in Portugal's squad for a sixth time.
Key milestone: Four appearances for Messi in 2026 equals Kristine Lilly's record of 30 World Cup matches (held by the USWNT legend), and five breaks it. In total, Argentina could play up to eight times if La Albiceleste reach the final or third-place playoff.
Scaloni has yet to publicly name Argentina's roster, but that announcement is imminent.