Lionel Messi has officially begun his journey to defend Argentina’s World Cup title in North America, with La Albiceleste undergoing their opening training session on U.S. soil. Still rehabilitating his most recent physical setback, the Inter Miami forward reportedly followed an individualized recovery track, working completely separate from the main group.
With the entire 26-man roster accounted for, the reigning world champions hit the pitch for their maiden practice session at the Compass Minerals National Performance Center in Kansas City. Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, officially reported to the team hotel on Sunday night, but the iconic captain was ultimately unable to participate in full squad drills.
According to a report from renowned Argentine outlet Diario Ole, Messi trained away from the rest of the squad under the watchful eye of head coach Lionel Scaloni. Still nursing minor inflammation in his left hamstring due to muscle fatigue, the tactical staff opted to take zero chances, mandating a personalized rehabilitation program for the standard-bearer.
At present, Messi’s physical condition is being meticulously managed by longtime Argentina kinesiologist Luis García and fitness coach Luis Martín. With his initial hamstring discomfort dating back to Inter Miami’s high-scoring match against the Philadelphia Union, the medical staff’s blueprint focuses on a heavily structured, gradual increase in workload.
Lionel Messi alongside Argentina national team goalkeepers during a training session.
With the ultimate objective being to have Messi at 100% capacity for the World Cup group opener against Algeria on June 16, the captain is currently undergoing rigorous double sessions, the identical training methodology implemented for the squad’s other ailing players. While his availability for Saturday’s friendly against Honduras is virtually nonexistent, the coaching staff remains highly optimistic he can log crucial tune-up minutes against Iceland on June 9.
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A massive group of stars restricted to the sidelines
In an effort to ensure peak health for the tournament opener, Argentina’s coaching staff adopted an incredibly conservative approach to their opening session, a philosophy applied not just to Messi, but to several key figures expected to ramp up activity in the coming days. Consequently, the Inter Miami talisman was far from the only high-profile star confined to individual recovery work.
Most notably, starting goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez remains entirely unable to perform sport-specific handling drills due to a fractured ring finger on his right hand, effectively ruling him out of both upcoming friendly games. Joining Martinez and Messi in the separate rehab cohort was a collection of first-team talent, including Cristian Romero, Leandro Paredes, Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Gonzalez, Nico Paz, Thiago Almada, and Julian Alvarez.
