Lionel Messi exited his final club match before the upcoming World Cup on Sunday after appearing to experience discomfort in his thigh, though Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos believes the issue was simply exhaustion from challenging playing conditions.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient was removed from the game in the 73rd minute after grabbing the back of his thigh following one of his signature free kicks during Inter’s 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Union in Miami.
“We don’t have a medical report on that yet, but we will have one shortly,” Hoyos told reporters when asked why the talismanic forward was taken off.
“He was genuinely suffering from fatigue in that regard; it is indeed fatigue. He was tired, the pitch was heavy and when in doubt, the standard approach is always to ensure you don’t take any risks.”
Major League Soccer is now taking a mid-season break for the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni announced a 55-man squad, including Messi, on May 11. He will need to reduce it to 26 before FIFA’s June 1 deadline.
Messi was highly influential as Argentina won the World Cup for a third time in Qatar four years ago. They open their title defence against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16.
