Later today, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will get underway. There are two matches on Thursday’s docket: Host team Mexico gets things started against South Africa, while a little later South Korea will square off with Czechia. And in short order, the other 44 teams will join the fray. Here, we are keeping track on […]
It was an instantly iconic image: Cyle Larin, two minutes after he first jogged onto the pitch, standing in front of a roaring Toronto Stadium crowd, in the moments after he scored one of the great goals of his life and in Canadian soccer history, with his eyes closed and his fingers in his ears.
With the 2026 MLS season already underway, questions are being raised about when Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi will play his next game. Lionel Messi is still making history at 38 years old, remaining a cornerstone and captain for both Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. With the 2026 Major League Soccer season now underway, fans are wondering when they’ll see the forward back in action. Lionel Messi’s next match with Argentina is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, when La Albiceleste take on Algeria for Matchday 1 in Group J of the 2026 World Cup at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The forward is heading to the game after recovering from his muscle overload and performing in the last friendly against Iceland, where he found the back of the net from the penalty spot. As for his next game with Inter Miami, Major League Soccer has implemented break for the World Cup, with the 2026 regular season slated to resume after the international tournament concludes in mid-July. To jumpstart their defense of the MLS Cup trophy, the Herons will return to action by hosting the Chicago Fire at Nu Stadium on Wednesday, July 22. During the 2026 MLS campaign, Messi has featured in 16 official matches so far across all competitions, scoring 13 goals with 7 assist registered thus far. The Argentine star most recently delivered a pair of brilliant assists against the Philadelphia Union, a match he was ultimately forced to leave early in the second half due to a minor hamstring strain. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF during the MLS match against LAFC. Lionel Messi and the task of defending the World Cup title The year 2026 will be especially significant for Messi, not only because of Inter Miami’s ambitions but also because he’ll head into the 2026 World Cup aiming to defend the title. The triumph in Qatar in 2022 marked one of the defining peaks of his career, and now in North America he’ll enter another tournament wearing the champions’ badge for the first time. Drawn into Group J, Argentina will open its campaign against Algeria on Tuesday, June 16, in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. The second match will be against Austria on Monday the 22nd in Arlington at AT&T Stadium, before closing the group stage against Jordan on Saturday the 27th, also in Texas. The Argentina FA has announced that the national team will base itself in Kansas City during the tournament, though training facilities have yet to be confirmed. Expected to be his final World Cup appearance, Messi will have a chance to add to his record haul with a squad coached by Lionel Scaloni that remains one of the strongest in international soccer after winning the last World Cup and back-to-back Copa América titles.
With less than a week until Argentina's 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Algeria, Lionel Messi spoke about his physical condition. Lionel Messi led Argentina to victory in their final friendly before the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Iceland, scoring one goal and playing a key role in another. Afterward, he discussed his fitness as the opener against Algeria draws near. “I felt very good. I was eager to get started, play a little and get rid of those normal fears after dealing with some discomfort,” Leo said during the postgame press conference following the 3-0 win over Iceland. “I wanted to play to get rid of that fear, stop thinking about it and be able to play freely.” The 38-year-old forward later admitted he had some concerns in the days leading up to the match about the possibility of a setback and needed to get back on the field to put those thoughts behind him. “In training, you think when the ball comes to you… In matches, you play more naturally. The reactions, the movements are different,” he explained. Messi experienced muscle discomfort during his last match with Inter Miami on May 24 against Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer, forcing him to leave the field early and preventing him from training normally during Argentina’s first camp sessions. That also kept him out of last Saturday’s friendly against Honduras. Con la primera pelota de Messi en el juego… ¡PENAL PARA ARGENTINA! ⚽❗ Lo cobra Messi, Argentina aumenta la ventaja 2-0 ante Islandia en el amistoso. pic.twitter.com/HztiSby31x— ESPN Deportes (@ESPNDeportes) June 10, 2026 “It hadn’t been long since the last match I played in Miami,” Lionel explained regarding his absence against Honduras. “We took it day by day and monitored how I was feeling. We kept talking,” he added about the joint decision-making process with Lionel Scaloni‘s coaching staff. “Now we have a week to get everyone fully ready and arrive in the best possible shape for the opener.” Messi excited about Argentina’s chances Although no team have successfully defended a World Cup title in the last 64 years, Lionel Messi expressed confidence in Argentina’s chances of competing for the trophy once again. “As every time we start an official tournament, I’m very excited,” the forward said. “This group has shown that it can compete against any opponent and in any competition, and we’ve shown that we have the same hunger and always want more. We’ll take it step by step, but we’re very excited and convinced of what we’re capable of.” Argentina’s path at the 2026 World Cup After playing their final warmup match on Tuesday in Alabama, Argentina returned to Kansas City, which will serve as their training base throughout the World Cup. They will open their campaign there next Tuesday against Algeria in the Group J opener. Lionel Scaloni’s team will then face two tests in Dallas, Texas. The first will come against Austria on June 22, while five days later they will wrap up their group-stage campaign against Jordan.
