Lionel Messi Injury: Panic swept through the footballing world on Sunday night after Lionel Messi limped off the pitch in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami’s chaotic 6-4 MLS win over the Philadelphia Union. Social media lit up with alarmist posts about the Argentine icon suffering a major hamstring injury that could jeopardise his tournament run with just under three weeks to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But as the dust settled, the real story behind the scare has come from an authoritative update from the inner circle of Argentine sports journalism.
Lionel Messi’s Precaution Over Pathology: The Inside Report
Highly trusted Argentine journalist Gastón Edul took to X (formerly Twitter) to clear up the rapidly spreading rumours, quickly answering the viral anxiety. Messi does not suffer from a structural or muscular injury, according to Edul.
Leo Messi pidió el cambio de manera preventiva porque se le cargó el isquiotibial.
No tiene lesión muscular. No siguió cargando la zona ni arriesgando. pic.twitter.com/YB8MZaO98H— Gastón Edul (@gastonedul) May 25, 2026
It was a purely precautionary substitution, Edul said. Messi’s hamstring was tightening from extreme muscle fatigue and he requested to be withdrawn before he was forced to play through the pain. At 38, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has an elite level of body awareness, knowing exactly when to mitigate risk, especially with a world title defence on the immediate horizon. He was able to get himself out of the high-scoring MLS thriller and avoid any more strain on the sensitive area.
What the Inside Reports Say About Lionel Messi?
“Leo Messi requested a substitution as a precaution because he felt a hamstring strain. He doesn’t have a muscle injury. He simply didn’t want to take any risks.” — Gastón Edul
Fans Breathe a Collective Sigh of Relief— Will Messi Play FIFA World Cup?
The journalistic update received a quick and overwhelming response. Thousands of Albiceleste supporters took to the comments in Edul’s post to express their enormous relief and openly thanked the reporter for putting an end to the rampant social media speculation.
Argentina, scheduled to open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City, had agonised over the prospect of the worst for hours, fans feared. The relief that their captain just has ordinary match fatigue and no torn muscle has calmed nerves in both Buenos Aires and Miami.
Messi has roughly three weeks to rest, recuperate and transition seamlessly into Lionel Scaloni’s international training camp, intact and ready for a historic sixth World Cup appearance.
Read More: Lionel Messi at 38: Is Fitness Becoming Argentina’s Biggest Challenge Before FIFA World Cup 2026?
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
