The Roster Takes Shape
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said 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.
The club'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.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Margins Are Thin
"The first reports are not that bad," Scaloni told DSports. "Logically, we would prefer that nothing had happened to him. Now, we have to wait and see how he progresses. Above all, they're going to run tests on him. Our goal is to try to recover them and have them arrive in the best possible condition."
Messi has played 26 World Cup matches since his 2006 debut. 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. Each played their first World Cup in 2006. He made his 26th appearance in the 2022 final against France.
The Next Test Arrives
The overall World Cup record belongs to USWNT legend Kristine Lilly, who played 30 times at the women's tournament from 1991–2007. Four appearances for Messi in 2026 equals that record, and five breaks it. In total, Argentina could play up to eight times if La Albiceleste reach the final or third-place playoff.