Lionel Messi trained separately from the main Argentina group during their first World Cup practice session in the United States, keeping his fitness under the spotlight less than two weeks before their tournament opener.
As per Reuters, Messi worked on “specific exercises” at Argentina’s base camp in Kansas City, where Lionel Scaloni’s squad began their pre-tournament preparations on Monday.
The 38-year-old Inter Miami captain has been managing muscle fatigue in his left hamstring since May 24, but he is still expected to be available for Argentina’s World Cup opener against Algeria on June 16.
Argentina have so far avoided panic around Messi’s condition, with the national team’s latest update suggesting that he is not the only player on a controlled programme and that the medical staff are managing minor issues inside the squad.
Messi’s separate training does not currently appear to be a major setback, but Argentina’s caution is understandable. At 38, he remains the emotional and technical centre of the side that won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He is also preparing for what could be his sixth World Cup appearance, an extraordinary late-career milestone for a player who has already won the Ballon d’Or eight times.
Argentina will play their final warm-up match against Iceland on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama, before opening their World Cup campaign against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16.
