Messi Sidelined
Lionel Messi Sits Out Argentina's Friendly Match Against Honduras Due to Hamstring Injury
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Lionel Messi will not start Argentina's friendly against Honduras on June 6 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, as the 38-year-old manages a left hamstring overload sustained during Inter Miami's May 24 match against Philadelphia Union. Coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi is "doing a lot better" but confirmed the decision to hold him out is purely precautionary, with the World Cup opener against Algeria on June 16 firmly in mind. Athlon Sports reported Scaloni's words: "He may be part of the friendly matches, getting some minutes. We'll see if it's the one tomorrow or the next one."
The match at Kyle Field — which seats 102,733 fans — was expected to be one of the largest live audiences of Messi's career. Secondary market ticket prices dipped after news broke that he would not start. Argentina's next friendly is against Iceland on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama. If Messi misses that too, he would enter the World Cup with nearly three weeks of no competitive match action.
A Chaotic 6-4 MLS Match Started It All
The injury trace back to May 24, when Messi left Inter Miami's match against Philadelphia Union in the 73rd minute. He was seen clutching the back of his left leg after taking a free kick. Miami won 6-4 in a match that set an MLS record for eight goals in a single half. Messi had registered 12 goals and 8 assists in 14 appearances for Inter Miami this season before the scare. Interim Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos noted "the pitch was heavy" and said the club refused to take further risks with Messi's fitness.
An MRI exam on May 25 found no structural tear. Doctors diagnosed the issue as "an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring." Messi joined Argentina's training camp in Kansas City on June 1, where he began a specialized individual program separate from the main squad. By June 3-4, he was training partially with the group — described by insiders as "a significant leap forward" in his recovery. Still, Argentina insider Gastón Edul of TyC Sports confirmed Messi would not start against Honduras and could be held out entirely.
Scaloni Plays It Safe With Title Defense in Mind
Argentina are the defending world champions and currently ranked No. 1 by FIFA. Scaloni's priority is arriving at the tournament with Messi fully fit, not picking up a Grade 1 or Grade 2 hamstring tear in a meaningless June friendly. At his June 5 press conference, Scaloni struck a calm tone. "Leo is doing well. He trained for a part with the group," he said. "That gives us tranquility." Medical analysts note that at 38, Messi's recovery from muscular overload takes longer than it did during the 2022 World Cup, when he was 35.
Without Messi and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez — who fractured the ring finger on his right hand and is also sidelined for this window — Argentina's lineup looks thin at the top. Juan Musso of Atletico Madrid will start in goal. Striker Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez are expected to lead the attack, though Álvarez is also carrying a minor ankle concern. Sac Bee noted defender Leonardo Balerdi was ruled out of the World Cup entirely after suffering a severe muscle tear in his right leg during a June 6 training session — a 21-day recovery that ends his tournament hopes.
Messi Chasing History at His Sixth World Cup
If fit and selected, this World Cup will mark Messi's sixth appearance at the tournament — a record no player in history has achieved. He has competed in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022, winning the title in Qatar. He currently holds the record for most World Cup appearances with 26 games. A sixth edition would extend that mark further. Herald Sun reported that Argentina's schedule gives Messi ten days between tonight's match and the Algeria opener on June 16, which most medical staff believe is enough time to reach full fitness.
Critics in Buenos Aires have questioned why Inter Miami allowed Messi to play a 6-4 barnstormer just two weeks before Argentina's World Cup prep window opened. The narrative around the squad has shifted from pre-tournament confidence to what local outlets are calling "injury management anxiety," with Messi, Martínez, Balerdi, and others all flagged as concerns. The optimistic read, backed by Scaloni and the Argentine Football Federation, is that the benching tonight is a "luxury of caution" — proof the staff is managing their greatest asset carefully, not desperately.
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