The defending champions Argentina have set their preparations rolling for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Kansas. Since arriving in the United States of America, holders Argentina had their first practice session on Wednesday, but curiously their star player Lionel Messi didn’t train with the rest of the team. Instead, he trained alone in Missouri. Messi, who has been playing top-flight football in the US with Inter Miami, has been dealing with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring since the last week of May. However, the indications are that he is expected to be fit for Argentina’s opener against Algeria on June 16 at Kansas City. The 38-year-old Messi joined Argentina at their training base and worked on “specific exercises” along with several teammates who are also dealing with fitness concerns, their football association said. “The players who are suffering from niggles and injuries continue to work with the physiotherapy team on specific exercises on the pitch and are making good progress,” Argentina’s Football Association said. Also Read | ARG coach Scaloni cried before 2022 World Cup final, couldn’t deliver team talk Argentina, ranked number three in the world, will play their final warm-up fixture match against Iceland on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama. Messi,who eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, has won two MVP awards since joining Inter Miami post the Qatar World Cup. He is competing in his record sixth World Cup and is Argentina’s all-time leader in caps (198) and goals (116) since making his debut with the national team in 2005. With 26 appearances, Messi holds the current record for the most World Cup matches by any player. Interestingly, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who will also feature in a record sixth World Cup, haven’t faced each other in the global event. In case, Argentina and Portugal both win their groups and proceed to the next round, both will square-off in the next round. With another World Cup appearance unlikely for the both, the World Cup 2026 is the last opportunity for both these legends to come face-to-face in the middle. Story continues below this ad Messi has taken Argentina to two World Cup finals, losing the first in 2014 to Germany in Brazil. Then in 2022 Qatar World Cup, Messi led them to the World Cup title. Ronaldo, on the other hand, hasn’t been able to improve on Portugal’s fourth-place finish at the 2006 edition in Germany. Since then their best finish has been the quarterfinals at the 2022 edition and Ronaldo is yet to score a single goal in the knockout stages.
Messi trains alone as prospect of facing Ronaldo in WC for first time looms
