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0 NewsGhana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://www.newsghana.com.gh/messi-hamstring-scare-clouds-argentinas-world-cup-hopes/Lionel Messi faces an anxious wait over his World Cup fitness after Inter Miami diagnosed the Argentine captain with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring on Monday, with barely three weeks until Argentina’s title defence begins.
Inter Miami confirmed that Messi left Sunday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) match against Philadelphia Union due to physical discomfort, grabbing the back of his left leg and signalling for a substitution in the 73rd minute of his side’s 6-4 victory.
“The initial diagnosis indicates an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring,” Inter Miami said in a statement, adding that the timeline for his return to physical activity would depend on his clinical and functional progress.
Messi walked off the field without assistance and went directly to the locker room. He had contributed a pair of assists in the first half, with heavy rain falling during the second half and leaving the surface slippery.
The diagnosis offered measured relief. A muscle overload linked to fatigue sits considerably lower on the severity scale than a confirmed tear or structural damage. For Argentina, the key detail is that the wording leaves room for recovery before competitive World Cup action begins, though Messi’s recent muscle history means the issue still requires careful monitoring.
The timing is nevertheless nerve-shredding. Argentina face Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9 in pre-tournament friendlies before their World Cup opener against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16. Those friendlies double as fitness tests that head coach Lionel Scaloni will use to assess Messi’s readiness before naming his final selections.
Messi enters the World Cup having scored 12 goals and assisted eight more in only 13 MLS appearances this season, a record that underlines why Argentina’s squad management has handled him with consistent caution across congested fixture periods since he joined the club in 2023.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has not formally confirmed participation in the tournament, but the World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and opening June 11, is widely expected to represent what would be a record-matching sixth appearance at the finals for the 38-year-old and what football observers across the world are calling his last dance on the game’s biggest stage. Argentina’s squad announcement is expected next week.
NewsGhana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://www.newsghana.com.gh/messi-hamstring-scare-clouds-argentinas-world-cup-hopes/
