BUENOS AIRES : Lionel Messi could make an appearance in one of the team’s two World Cup warm-up matches after recovering from a hamstring issue, coach Lionel Scaloni said on Friday.
Messi, 38, has been sidelined since suffering soreness in his left hamstring while playing for Inter Miami on May 24, but Scaloni said the forward had resumed partial training with the squad and was making steady progress.
“Leo is doing well,” Scaloni told reporters. “He trained for part of the session with the group, which is important. He’s not fully separated from the team anymore.
“He could play some minutes in one of these friendlies. We’ll decide whether it’s the first match or the second, but he’s improving a lot and that gives us peace of mind.”
Argentina face Honduras on Saturday in College Station, Texas, before taking on Iceland on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama, in their final preparations for the World Cup.
The defending champions will be looking to retain the title they won in Qatar in 2022, when Messi captained the side to glory and received the tournament’s Golden Ball award as best player.
Messi has enjoyed another productive season with Inter Miami, recording 12 goals and eight assists in 14 appearances before Major League Soccer paused for the World Cup. Earlier on Friday, he was also named to the MLS All-Star team for the July 29 match against Liga MX’s top players in Charlotte.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has made 198 appearances for Argentina and scored 116 international goals, the second-highest tally in men’s international football behind Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi already holds the record for most World Cup appearances with 26 matches, one ahead of Lothar Matthäus. Both Messi and Ronaldo are set to appear at a sixth World Cup, which would establish a new tournament record.
Argentina begin their Group J campaign against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City before facing Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27, with both matches scheduled for Arlington, Texas.
