Washington (dpa)
There are doubts about the participation of the Argentine magician Lionel Messi with his country’s national team in its match against Peru in the South American Football Cup “Copa America 2024”, according to news reports. Argentina meets its Peruvian counterpart on Saturday evening, in the third and “final” round of Group A, in the group stage of the continental competition, currently being held in the United States.
The official website of the American newspaper “The New York Times” reported that Messi missed the evening training of the Argentine national team in Miami before the match with Peru.
The Argentine national team, the title holder, qualified for the quarter-finals of the tournament, which it has won 15 times, as it topped the group standings with 6 points, achieving a full score so far, with a 3-point difference over its closest pursuer, the Canadian national team.
Lionel Scaloni’s side need a draw against Peru, who are fourth with one point, to secure top spot in the group and play the second-placed team in Group B, which includes Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador and Jamaica. Multiple reports from Argentina suggest Messi will not play against Peru in order to rest before the team’s quarter-final clash on July 4.
Messi stayed at the team hotel while his teammates trained at Florida International University, while the American newspaper quoted news reports that the 37-year-old Inter Miami star underwent treatment with a physical therapist, after suffering from a muscle injury in his right leg. Messi told reporters after Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Chile in the second round of Group A that he felt “discomfort” in his right leg from the first minutes of the match, but he was able to complete the match until the end.
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