Messi Raises Injury Concerns Less Than a Month Before FIFA World Cup
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Lionel Messi left the field earlier than expected during the 2026 World Cup break, and now Argentina will wait to see if there are any injury concerns. Messi—who is rarely substituted—exited the game in the 73rd minute, having already been off the field before Luis Suárez's third goal of the night helped the defending MLS champions secure a 6-4 victory over the last-place Philadelphia Union on Sunday night. No preliminary diagnosis regarding any discomfort for Messi was immediately announced. The Argentine star has dealt with hamstring issues at least twice during his three-year tenure with Inter Miami. Team coach Guillermo Hoyos stated that Messi's substitution in the second half was due to 'fatigue.' When asked in a press conference about a possible injury, Hoyos replied that no medical evaluation had been conducted yet. 'We don't have information about that (an injury) to my knowledge. He was really fatigued, he had fatigue,' said Hoyos. 'Fatigue, he was tired, the field was heavy. When in doubt, what one does is try not to take risks,' the coach insisted when pressed further. Messi provided two assists, and Mexican nationalized Argentine Germán Berterame scored twice during a record first half for Inter Miami. However, Messi practically exited the match in the 71st minute and at least once touched his left hamstring; he then did not even approach the Inter Miami bench when he could have been substituted.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
