Omotayo Fashola
(Lionel Messi. Photo Credit)
Argentina’s football icon Lionel Messi is poised to make his comeback in the national team’s final pre-World Cup friendly against Iceland, with manager Lionel Scaloni confirming the captain’s inclusion in Tuesday’s clash in Alabama.
Messi was sidelined for Argentina’s 2-0 win over Honduras last week due to lingering hamstring discomfort, despite participating in warm-ups. The Inter Miami star had reported muscle fatigue following his club’s MLS encounter with Philadelphia Union before joining the national squad.
“Leo will feature—we’re just finalizing his minutes,” Scaloni stated during a press briefing. “I’ll assess his condition in training today and determine the safest approach to avoid setbacks. The plan is for him to play, but we’ll be cautious.”
Scaloni emphasized careful workload management for the squad as the defending champions gear up for their World Cup title defense. He also confirmed the return of Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina, and Gonzalo Montiel, who have recovered from minor injuries that kept them from full training.
Providing injury updates, Scaloni reassured fans about Julian Alvarez and Leandro Paredes: “Julian’s ankle issue is improving, while Paredes is progressing well and should rejoin the group soon.”
With defender Leonardo Balerdi ruled out due to a calf injury, Argentina are evaluating replacements. Scaloni noted that while current squad members can fill the gap, they remain open to additional reinforcements depending on player recoveries.
Argentina kick off their World Cup journey against Algeria on June 16, followed by Group J clashes with Austria and Jordan.
