Lionel Messi was at the center of an injury scare weeks before the start of the World Cup on Sunday after abruptly exiting Inter Miami’s Major League Soccer (MLS) clash against the Philadelphia Union.
Messi was substituted in the 73rd minute at a rain-soaked Nu Stadium in Miami after clutching the back of his left leg and requesting to come off.
The 38-year-old icon appeared to be walking normally as he headed straight down the tunnel after exiting the game, which Miami went on to win 6-4. Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos said after the game it was too early to determine if Messi was injured and that the substitution was precautionary due to pitch conditions.
Photo: AFP
“As far as I know, we don’t have a [medical] report on that yet, but we will have one shortly,” Hoyos said after the game when asked for details of Messi’s condition. “He was genuinely suffering from fatigue in that regard — it is indeed fatigue. He was tired; the pitch was heavy and when in doubt, the standard approach is always to ensure you don’t take any risks.”
Messi’s Inter Miami teammate Mateo Silvetti was unable to shed any light on his compatriot’s condition.
“I’m just as in the dark as everyone else,” Silvetti said. “At that moment, we were all focused on the match. I didn’t know if it was an injury or if he was simply tired … We’re hoping it turns out to be nothing serious. Given his mindset and everything else, we’re going to wish him the very best.”
Messi has carefully managed his workload since joining Inter Miami in 2023, with team staff regularly excusing him from games during particularly congested fixture periods.
He has spent multiple stints on the sidelines in the past few years due to problems with his hamstring, which caused him to miss parts of Miami’s preseason earlier this year.
Any significant injury to the eight-time Ballon D’Or winner would deal a huge blow to Argentina’s hopes of defending their World Cup crown in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The tournament kicks off in Mexico City on June 11, with Argentina due to play their opening game against Algeria in Kansas City five days later.
Inter Miami’s game on Sunday was the last before MLS takes a break ahead of the World Cup.
Messi has not formally confirmed he plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for what would be a record-equalling sixth appearance at the finals.
Argentina’s squad is due to be named next week and the South American heavyweights head to the US shortly afterwards for pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras in Texas on June 6 and Iceland on June 9.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS