Lionel Messi, the esteemed forward of Inter Miami and captain of the Argentine national team, has been declared unfit for participation in Argentina’s imminent friendly matches against El Salvador and Costa Rica, owing to a hamstring injury. Despite initiating the 2024 season with an impressive performance, wherein he accumulated five goals and two assists in five competitive encounters, Messi was compelled to sit out of the recent victory over DC United due to the injury sustained during the CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Nashville, wherein he contributed with a goal and an assist before being substituted early in the second half due to hamstring distress.
In a post-match briefing following the clash with DC United, Inter Miami’s head coach Tata Martino disclosed that Messi’s injury necessitates a week-by-week evaluation, emphasizing the priority of his participation in the upcoming CONCACAF quarterfinals. Martino elucidated, “Messi’s injury must undergo weekly assessment, and we will monitor its progress closely. It is evident that our objective is his readiness for the CONCACAF quarterfinals. The injury pertains to a muscular ailment. Any decisions regarding his selection for the national team are best addressed by the relevant authorities.”
Confirming Messi’s absence from the squad for the forthcoming friendlies, the reigning World Cup champions issued a statement elucidating the nature of the injury as “minor” and localized to the hamstring of his right leg, sustained during Inter Miami CF’s fixture against Nashville SC. Consequently, Messi, who holds the record for the highest number of goals and appearances for Argentina with 106 goals in 180 international matches, will be unable to contribute further to the national team’s tally during the current international window. Nonetheless, his pivotal role in Argentina’s pursuit to defend their Copa America title, slated to commence on June 20, remains anticipated.
In addition to Messi’s unavailability, Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni has encountered further setbacks with the withdrawals of Marcos Senesi, Paulo Dybala, and Exequiel Palacios from the squad due to injury. Consequently, Scaloni has taken the decision to include Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez in the roster for the upcoming fixtures in the USA.
Argentina is scheduled to confront El Salvador in Philadelphia on March 22, followed by a fixture against Costa Rica in Los Angeles on March 26.