Update emerges on Lionel Messi after pre-World Cup injury scare

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Update emerges on Lionel Messi after pre-World Cup injury scare

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated May 25, 2026 9:54 PM ET

Lionel Messi will not be missing out on his last dance.

The Argentinian soccer superstar Messi, who plays at the club level for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer (MLS), suffered a big injury scare on Sunday night. During Miami’s game against the Philadelphia Union at Nu Stadium in Miami, Fla., Messi asked to subbed off in the 73rd minute after taking a free kick.

Messi appeared to be grabbing at his left thigh and walked straight to the locker room under his own power.

Messi is headed straight to the locker room after getting subbed out in the 73rd minute pic.twitter.com/BIpKA4M3TW
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 25, 2026

On Monday, Inter Miami shared an update on Messi’s status. The team said that Messi, after undergoing further medical testing, had been diagnosed with “an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.”

Leading soccer reporter Fabrizio Romano added that Messi suffered “no serious injury” during the match and is set to be available for Argentina at the World Cup.

The soon-to-be 39-year-old Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, had been expected to compete with his native Argentina at this year’s World Cup for a record-extending sixth time. Argentina is set to play in their first friendly against Honduras in less than two weeks and their first group stage match against Algeria in just over three weeks on June 16.

Messi led Argentina to victory at the last World Cup in 2022 as the Golden Ball winner for the most outstanding player of the tournament. He had been eyeing a potential sixth World Cup appearance for some years, and now it fortunately appears that he will be physically fit to compete this summer as well.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: