Inter Miami and Argentine superstar Lionel Messi asked to be subbed off during an Inter Miami game on Sunday and headed straight to the locker room with an apparent leg injury, with the FIFA World Cup set to kick off in just over two weeks.
Messi grabbed the back of his leg and walked off the pitch under his own power in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami’s game against the Philadelphia Union in the rain in Miami.
The 38-year-old legend and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has 12 goals and five assists in 13 games with Inter Miami this season. He has spent the past four seasons in Miami after an illustrious 17-year career with Barcelona in La Liga and a two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain in France’s Ligue 1.
On the international stage, Messi’s 21 combined goals and assists in FIFA World Cup history are tied with Brazilian legend Pele for the most in tournament history. He has the most goals in Argentina’s history at the World Cup, with 13.
Messi won the Golden Ball as the best player at FIFA 2022 in Qatar, where he scored seven goals – including two in the thrilling final in which he pushed Argentina to its first FIFA World Cup title of the 21st century, and third overall.
Argentina will play its first match at the 2026 tournament on June 16 against Algeria as part of Group J.
