On Sunday at Miami's Nu Stadium, Inter Miami played its final MLS match before the World Cup break. Inter defeated Philadelphia Union 6:4 — but the score quickly became secondary. In the 73rd minute, Lionel Messi pointed to the substitution bench, slowly walked to the tunnel and disappeared into the locker room, holding the back of his left leg. He did not return to the bench.
A detail that matters more than a diagnosis
Even before the match, Messi had not given a definitive answer to questions about the 2026 World Cup. According to Sports Illustrated, he was waiting until the last moment to "see if he would truly be 100% ready." This match was supposed to be the final test — and it ended with a question mark. No official medical bulletin from the club was issued after the game.
The Argentine national team is gathering at a training camp in Kansas City on June 1. Messi and his club teammate Rodrigo De Paul were supposed to join there together. The first group match is against Algeria on June 16, with two warm-up matches before it: against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9. There is time — but only if the injury proves to be minor.
This is not the first case
According to ESPN, in February 2026, Messi missed training due to a left thigh muscle strain sustained in a friendly match against Barcelona SC. He returned to play a week later. Before that, in August 2025, he left a CONCACAF Champions League match against Necaxa in the 11th minute after contact with an opponent — and also recovered. Both incidents involved the same left thigh.
"Physical wear accumulated over the years and recurring muscle problems raise inevitable questions about his condition before the biggest tournament."
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Coach Scaloni publicly acknowledged that the 2026 World Cup will be Messi's last. This means that in case of elimination — or even partial participation — the Argentine national team loses not only a player, but also the emotional backbone around which the championship team was built. Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister and Lautaro Martínez represent a sufficiently talented squad, but Scaloni has built the team's tactics and psychology around Messi for four years.
6:4 and a record nobody noticed
Before his exit, Messi managed to provide two assists in the match, which according to CBS Sports set an MLS record — eight goals in a single half. Inter was down 0:2 in the first ten minutes but emerged victorious. Messi left the field in the heat of battle — and this moment, rather than the final whistle, will be the defining image from this evening.
If the Argentine medical staff does not get a clear picture of the muscle's condition by June 1, Scaloni will be forced for the first time in four years to publicly answer the question: how does the national team play without Messi at all.
