After exiting the game against Philadelphia Union due to a discomfort, Inter Miami boss Guillermo Hoyos issued an optimistic injury update on Lionel Messi ahead of Argentina’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons on Sunday after being forced off in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami’s chaotic draw against the Philadelphia Union with an apparent injury. Following the match, and with Argentina poised to launch its 2026 World Cup training camp, Herons head coach Guillermo Hoyos attempted to calm the mounting panic by attributing the superstar’s departure to mere “fatigue.”
After delivering a pair of brilliant first-half assists, Messi’s afternoon was cut short due to lower-body discomfort midway through the second half. In the 71st minute, the Argentine icon drifted toward the touchline and signaled to the bench while play was still live; once the ball finally went out of bounds, Mateo Silvetti subbed on in the 73rd minute for Messi, who was seen clutching his left hamstring on the field.
When pressed during his post-match press conference about the severity of the injury, Hoyos struck a cautious yet generally optimistic tone regarding his captain’s status: “As far as I know, we don’t have a medical report on that yet. We will have one shortly, but he was truly fatigued in that regard.”
When reporters pushed for further details about the exact moment Messi approached the sideline to ask for a substitution, Hoyos doubled down on his initial assessment. “It’s fatigue, fatigue… He was tired, the pitch was heavy, and when in doubt, what you always do is try to make sure he doesn’t take any risks,” he added.
*Developing story…