Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that Lionel Messi will feature in the national team’s final warm-up match before the 2026 World Cup, a friendly against Iceland in Auburn, Alabama. The captain’s participation, however, will be carefully managed as the staff looks to protect him from any late setback.

Messi, who has been dealing with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring, joined the national team camp after leaving Inter Miami’s last match before the MLS World Cup break in visible discomfort. He was substituted in the 73rd minute of that game against the Philadelphia Union, and subsequent tests confirmed the muscle issue.

Since then, Argentina’s medical team has monitored him on a day-to-day basis. Scaloni revealed that Messi has gradually rejoined group training and is now fit enough to play some part against Iceland, though the exact number of minutes will be decided after further talks with the player and staff.

Messi remained on the bench and did not play in Argentina’s recent friendly win over Honduras, though he did participate in the pregame warmup in College Station, Texas. That cautious approach is set to continue, with Scaloni emphasizing that the priority is to arrive at the World Cup with his star fully available.

The coach also plans to spread playing time across the squad to reduce the risk of injuries in the final rehearsal. Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel have all been cleared to feature after previously training separately while recovering from various knocks.

There was further positive news on Julián Álvarez and Leandro Paredes. Álvarez has been managing ankle discomfort that is reportedly subsiding, while Paredes is expected to rejoin full training with the group in the coming days as his recovery progresses.

One unresolved issue for Scaloni is the replacement of defender Leonardo Balerdi in the 26-man squad. The Marseille centre-back left camp with a calf injury and has been ruled out of the tournament. The staff is weighing options, including whether to bring in a direct defensive replacement or adjust the balance of the squad depending on how other recovering players respond after the Iceland match.

Argentina will open its World Cup campaign in Group J against Algeria, followed by fixtures against Austria and Jordan, with Messi’s fitness central to their hopes of defending the title.