Lionel Messi missed Argentina’s 1-0 friendly win over Venezuela, scored by Giovani Lo Celso. Coach Lionel Scaloni revealed that Messi is in good physical condition, and the injury was not related to his absence from the Latin American clash on Saturday morning.
Scaloni told the media after the match, “I decided that Messi would not play in the match. I wanted to try the duo of Lautaro and Alvarez in attack.”
He added, “We had Jose Lopez on the bench, and I saw him as a logical option. In the end, he didn’t play, but he will play in the next match. That’s my decision. It’s that simple.”
American media reported that Messi would return to Inter Miami within hours and leave the Argentina camp to play against Atlanta United on Sunday morning, after which he would return to his home camp.
Argentina will play Puerto Rico in a friendly on Tuesday at Chase Stadium, Inter Miami’s home ground in the United States, as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
