Inter Miami coach Hoyos downplays Lionel Messi injury as ‘fatigue’ ahead of Argentina’s 2026 World Cup preparations
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. 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: Leo Messi asked for substitution and he walks straight into the locker room 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/3uJ1BUZjy7— Inter Miami News Hub (@Intermiamicfhub) May 25, 2026 Optimistic update follows initial post-match scare At first glance, the optics surrounding Messi’s exit were far from ideal; seeing the star head straight down the tunnel with his head down alongside an Inter Miami staff member sparked immediate concern. However, as soon as the final whistle blew, incoming reports offered a massive sigh of relief for the Argentina coaching staff. According to Argentine journalist and national team insider Gaston Edul, Messi requested the substitution strictly as a precautionary measure after feeling tightness and an overload in his left hamstring. Edul, who famously embedded with the squad during Argentina’s triumphant 2022 World Cup run, ruled out a structural muscle tear, confirming that the No. 10’s exit was simply a calculated decision to avoid jeopardizing his summer. 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 Argentina’s training camp kicks off next week Sunday’s clash against Philadelphia marked Messi’s final official club match before shifting his focus to international duty, meaning he will join Argentina’s camp in the coming days. While the sudden injury scare briefly sent shockwaves through the Albiceleste camp, early indications suggest the Miami captain should be fit to participate fully in the pre-tournament build-up. The Argentina national team will officially kick off its primary training camp on June 1 in Kansas City with its full roster, which head coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to finalize ahead of the May 30 deadline. Meanwhile, European-based players are scheduled to fly into Argentina during the final week of May for preliminary training sessions at the Ezeiza complex before the delegation makes the trek to North America. La Albiceleste will open their pre-tournament friendly slate on June 6 against Honduras, giving Messi nearly two weeks to rest and regain fitness before a final preparation match against Iceland on June 9. From there, the reigning champions will travel to