Lionel Messi‘s sudden exit from Inter Miami’s recent match against the Philadelphia Union set off major alarm bells for the Argentina national team with less than 15 days until the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup. Despite the initial panic, head coach Lionel Scaloni remains highly optimistic regarding his captain’s fitness for the tournament, revealing that the first medical reports are “not that bad.”
Inter Miami’s official medical update on Monday, which diagnosed the superstar with a muscle overload, brought a collective sigh of relief to both fans and the Argentina camp, effectively ruling out a severe structural tear. However, Messi’s availability for Argentina‘s upcoming pre-World Cup friendlies and their highly anticipated tournament opener against Algeria on June 16 remains a looming question mark that will be resolved in the coming days.
In an interview with Argentine outlet DSports, Scaloni recounted the exact moment he witnessed Messi’s injury scare, striking a direct and composed tone: “The coaching staff and I were watching the Inter Miami match against Philadelphia here at the training ground, and we saw that he asked to be substituted and wasn’t doing well. The first reports aren’t that bad. We hope nothing serious has happened to him, and now we will see exactly how his recovery progresses.“
The reigning world champions have already launched preliminary preparations, with several players reporting to the Ezeiza training complex in Buenos Aires before the delegation flies to Kansas City to officially open their World Cup base camp on June 1. With less than a week until the full squad converges, Scaloni is taking a cautious, day-by-day approach to managing Messi’s workload ahead of the summer showcase.
Lionel Scaloni head coach of Argentina talks with Lionel Messi prior to a training session.
Reflecting on the physical toll of a grueling club season, Scaloni expressed disappointment that his talisman—along with several other key figures—won’t be starting the international window at peak health. “I imagine they will run medical examinations on him. We all would have liked him to arrive without any kind of issues. But that isn’t the case; most of the players who had problems are still not fully recovered, and the goal is to try to get Lio recovered so he arrives in the best possible shape,” he added.
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With as many as 10 players currently navigating injuries and fitness concerns, Scaloni has yet to finalize the definitive 26-man roster that will defend Argentina’s crown at the 2026 World Cup. While several of the tournament’s heavy favorites have already begun unveiling their rosters, the Argentine tactician intends to maximize his timeline, holding out until the official June 1 deadline to lock in his squad.
Scaloni keeps door open for roster surprises ahead of World Cup
While only 26 players will ultimately make the trip to the World Cup, Scaloni opted to name an expanded 30-man provisional roster for the upcoming exhibition matches against Honduras and Iceland. Crucially, with standard right-backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel both sidelined with injuries, the Argentina manager confirmed that Palmeiras’ Agustin Giay and Hamburg’s Nicolas Capaldo will join the squad for the warm-up tour.
When pressed on whether these late additions have a legitimate shot at making the final cut, Scaloni didn’t hesitate to validate their standing. “There are more than three. There’s Agustin Giay, Capaldo… They can contribute to us as well. They are kids we think could be on the 26-man list. The other three, too. Beyond the fact that they are young and we are thinking about the future, everything we do is with the mindset that they can contribute to us in case something happens after the first list is finalized up until the first match, when we still have time to make changes,” he expressed.
