Lionel Messi's Injury Concern Ahead of World Cup

Lionel Messi sent a ripple of anxiety through Argentina on Sunday night, leaving Inter Miami’s wild 6-4 win over Philadelphia Union with an apparent leg issue just three weeks before the World Cup kicks off.

On a slick, rain-soaked pitch in Miami, the 38-year-old captain suddenly slowed, reached for the back of his left leg and glanced toward the bench. In the 73rd minute, he signalled he was done. Moments later, the stadium’s roar turned to a murmur as Messi walked off, hand on his hamstring, his expression calm but focused.

He asked to be substituted. No stretcher, no visible limp, no dramatic collapse. Just the sight of the game’s greatest player heading down the tunnel, the back of his leg still on his mind and a nation’s heart rate quietly rising.

Inside the technical area, Guillermo Hoyos didn’t hesitate. With the scoreline chaotic and the conditions heavy, Inter Miami’s coach pulled his star from the contest and chose caution over spectacle.

“As far as I know, we don't have a report on that yet, but he really was fatigued,” Hoyos said afterwards. “He was tired; the pitch was heavy and when in doubt, the standard approach is always to ensure you don't take any risks.”

No scans, no diagnosis, no timeline. Just fatigue, for now. The images, though, will be replayed endlessly from Buenos Aires to Rosario.

World Cup clock ticking

This was Messi’s final MLS appearance before he joins up with Argentina for their 2026 FIFA World Cup title defence. La Albiceleste open their campaign on 16 June against Algeria in Group J, a date ringed in red since the draw was made and one that suddenly feels a little closer after his early exit.

Argentina will name their squad later this week. Messi’s inclusion is a formality, but his condition instantly becomes the dominant storyline of the champions’ build-up. At 38, every twinge is scrutinised, every precaution dissected.

The memory of 2022 hangs over all of this. Back then, an inflamed Achilles with Paris Saint-Germain in November threatened to derail his World Cup. He managed it, played through it, and then played every single minute in Qatar, dragging his country to a third world title and cementing his legacy with the trophy that had eluded him.

This time, the stakes feel just as high, but different. Qatar was about destiny. 2026 might be about history. If he steps onto the pitch in North America, Messi will make a record-equalling sixth appearance at a World Cup finals, stretching a career that has already outlasted eras, rivals and expectations.

A wet night, a familiar tension

The game itself, a 10-goal thriller, almost became a sideshow once Messi left. Miami kept scoring, the crowd kept celebrating, but every camera cut back to the tunnel, every update searched for a sign of a limp, a bandage, a grimace.

None came. Reports from the ground described Messi walking normally as he disappeared into the locker room, the urgency of his substitution at odds with the calm of his exit. On a treacherous surface, that contrast might be exactly what Argentina wanted to see: a star who felt something, listened to his body and stopped in time.

For now, that’s all anyone truly knows. No scans, no official medical bulletin, just a coach insisting it was precautionary and a player who has lived this tightrope before.

Argentina will gather in the coming days, the squad list will drop, and every training image will be pored over. Is he sprinting? Is he striking the ball cleanly? Is that leg strapped?

The champions’ defence of their crown may hinge on the answer.