Lionel Messi’s World Cup status has been put into question.
The entire soccer fandom held its breath Sunday as the Argentinian superstar had to be subbed off in the 79th minute of his latest game with MLS’ Inter Miami.
The initial report was “muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.”
Argentinian national team and World Cup-winning manager Lionel Scaloni was among those worried when the injury occurred, but after reading the reports his concern eased up a bit.
“The first reports are not that bad. Logically, we would prefer that nothing had happened to him,” Scaloni told DSports. “Now, we have to wait and see how he progresses.
“Above all, they’re going to run tests on him, I imagine, and see if it’s as they say.”
Even though the injury is concerning, the chances of Messi missing the World Cup are slim, though he might not feature in the early matchups.
Messi has been a mainstay for the Argentine National Team for over 21 years, playing with the team since he was 19.
He just set a record by making his sixth World Cup roster, tied with Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who was selected for the Portuguese team.
The one thing that Messi has over Ronaldo on the international stage is his World Cup win in Qatar 2022.
He can also break the all-time World Cup match record by appearing in five matches during this year’s edition.
The current record holder is Connecticut and USWNT legend Kristine Lilly, who appeared in 30 games from 1991 to 2007.
The World Cup is just two weeks away, kicking off in Mexico on June 11.
Argentina’s first game is schedule for June 16 against Algeria, and the lingering question is whether Messi will be in the starting 11.