Argentina captain Lionel Messi is expected to make his return in the world champions’ final preparatory match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that the Inter Miami star will feature against Iceland in Tuesday’s friendly in Auburn, Alabama.
Messi sat out Argentina’s 2-0 win over Honduras on June 6 as he continued to recover from fatigue in his left hamstring. The 39-year-old joined the national team camp after experiencing discomfort during Inter Miami’s MLS clash with the Philadelphia Union before the league paused for the World Cup.
“Messi will play, I just don’t know how many minutes,” Scaloni said in a news conference, according to ESPN. “I still need to talk to him in today’s training, and we will see how many minutes he plays to avoid any type of risks. We will decide, but in principle he will play.”
Scaloni also noted that player workloads would be carefully managed as Argentina fine-tunes preparations for the defence of its World Cup crown.
