His club Inter Miami said Messi’s return to physical activity “depends on his clinical and functional progress.”
Published May 26, 2026
Inter Miami confirmed on Monday that Lionel Messi has a problem with his left hamstring. The problem occurred about a week before defending World Cup champions Argentina began training camp in preparation for defending their Northern Hemisphere summer title.
And the events of Sunday and Monday are sure to add at least a little intrigue to Argentina’s plans.
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Messi underwent tests on Monday – almost certainly an MRI, although the team did not specify what tests were carried out – and was ultimately diagnosed with “overload due to muscle fatigue in the left hamstring,” which prevented him from completing Sunday night’s Major League Soccer game against Inter Miami.
Typically, the time it takes to recover from such issues varies depending on the severity.
“His schedule for return to physical activity will depend on his clinical and functional progress,” Inter Miami said in a release.
Messi came off the bench in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami’s game against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday. He essentially stopped playing a few minutes ago and was seen grabbing the back of his left leg at least once before being subbed out.
Messi left the field without anyone’s help and went straight to the team’s locker room. Messi had two assists in the first half as defending MLS champions Inter Miami won 6-4.
Heavy rain fell during the second half, making the field slippery. It is unclear whether Messi made a blunder at some point during the storm or whether the circumstances played a role in his decision to leave the match. The entire team announced Monday that he was sidelined due to “physical discomfort.”
Argentina has two friendlies scheduled ahead of the World Cup, first against Honduras on June 6 in College Station, Texas, and then against Iceland on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama. These games will be played at the college football stadium, home to Texas A&M and Auburn, with a combined seating capacity of approximately 180,000.
Argentina is in Group J at the World Cup. Group stage games: vs. Algeria, vs. Kansas City on June 16th. Austria, June 22nd, Arlington, Texas. Jordan then returned to Arlington on June 27th.
Messi has already played in five World Cups and twice won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. The first time was in 2014 and the second time was in 2022 when he led Argentina to the title. This award has been awarded since 1982, but he is the only player to have won it twice.
