A report from Argentina clarifies Lionel Messi’s injury status ahead of the World Cup final
Concerns over Lionel Messi’s fitness have been downplayed after the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner missed Thursday’s training with the rest of the Argentina side.
The 35-year-old winger scored Argentina’s opening goal from the penalty spot as the South American nation advanced to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final with a 3-0 victory against Croatia on Tuesday evening.
Messi was spotted clutching his hamstring late in the game, raising concerns about his fitness, but according to the Argentine news source Clarin, the PSG sensation is fit and ready to play in the final versus France.
Photographers gathered to capture images of Lionel Scaloni’s squad as they prepared for Sunday’s World Cup final against France, but their No. 10 was nowhere to be found.
Messi has been an integral part of Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, earning four man-of-the-match awards in six games while contributing four goals and three assists to the team’s success.
The 35-year-old was backed by his teammates to lead the squad out on Sunday evening despite confirming earlier this week that this will be his final World Cup.
Even though the injury reports coming out of Argentina’s camp for Messi are positive, Gomez’s fitness remains in question after he injured his ankle in Argentina’s opening World Cup match against Australia.
Angel di Maria, who has been suffering from a soft-tissue issue that caused Scaloni to bench him in the semi-final, remains questionable for the final.
Sergio Aguero was also spotted at the Qatar University training facility, helping his team prepare for the championship match by scoring a spectacular goal.
The now-34-year-old former Manchester City star has been present in the camp for the most of the tournament, and was even observed engaging in a furious argument following their quarterfinal victory against Holland.
A report from Argentina clarifies Lionel Messi’s injury status ahead of the World Cup final
