World Cup: Messi back for record sixth bow in Argentina's title-defence

When Lionel Messi held the FIFA World Cup trophy aloft four years back in Qatar, in his fifth attempt and at 34 years, few would have wagered he would survive for a record sixth appearance. He is back again with the captain’s armband for the upcoming edition next month, joining Cristiano Ronaldo to be the first two players featuring in six editions of the World Cup.

The veteran forward will lead Argentina, the defending champions, in the competition across the US, Canada and Mexico after being selected by coach Lionel Scaloni on Thursday. Argentine fans had a minor scare after the talismanic captain was forced off during Inter Miami CF’s MLS match against Philadelphia Union last week.

Inter Miami later confirmed that Messi suffered muscle fatigue in his left hamstring after an initial diagnosis indicated an overload. His return to action will depend on his day-to-day recovery. “The initial updates aren’t entirely bad. Now, we must wait to see how he evolves, pending the results of further tests to see if they confirm the initial medical reports,” Scaloni said in an interview with DSports earlier this week.

“We all wished Messi could have joined the squad fully fit, but that isn’t the reality. It’s not just him; many players have yet to fully recover from injuries. Our main priority now is their rehabilitation to ensure they reach the World Cup in peak condition,” the World Cup-winning coach said.

He has made 198 appearances for Argentina and will reach the 200-mark if he plays in both of his country's friendly matches — against Honduras in Texas (Sunday, 7 June) and then against Iceland in Alabama (Tuesday, 9 June). Argentina begin their title defence against Algeria on 16 June in Kansas City and will also face Austria and Jordan in the group stage.

Notable absentees include in-form Aston Villa attacker Emi Buendia, whose Europa League final stunner was named goal of the tournament, forward Paolo Dybala, whose season at Roma has been disrupted by injury, and 18-year-old Real Madrid winger Franco Mastantuono.

World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa).

Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid).

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (River Plate), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Giovani lo Celso (Real Betis), Ezequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea).

Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan).