At the press conference before the two friendly matches against Honduras and Iceland, the "captain" of the Argentine team confirmed that the 38-year-old captain has returned to training with the whole team after a period of rest due to fitness issues.
Messi is recovering well. He has trained with the whole team and that is a very important sign. Everything is progressing positively, he may even play a few minutes in one of the two upcoming friendly matches. The coaching staff will evaluate further to decide whether he will play against Honduras or Iceland," coach Lionel Scaloni shared.
According to the plan, Argentina will successively face Honduras on June 7 and Iceland on June 10 before entering the journey to defend the championship at the 2026 World Cup.
Messi's condition has received much attention recently after he had physical problems when playing for Inter Miami in MLS on May 24. At that time, the Argentine striker had to leave the field early, causing fans to worry about his ability to participate in the World Cup.
However, medical examination results showed that Messi did not suffer serious injuries. Doctors determined that he was only overloaded leading to muscle fatigue and needed time to recover.
Messi's return to training helps the Argentina coaching staff feel somewhat reassured before the biggest tournament on the planet. This is likely to be the last World Cup in the career of the superstar born in 1987.
To date, Messi holds the record for the number of appearances for the Argentine national team with 198 matches, and is also the top scorer in the national team history with 116 goals.
