Messi confirmed that he played in uncomfortable conditions with a sore throat and fever, affecting his muscles in the first half of Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile in the second round of Group A of the Copa America 2024 on June 26.
“I played after a few days of sore throat and fever, and this may have affected me. Regarding the injury, it’s not something old or something I’m suffering from. It’s just a muscle spasm. We’ll see how it goes. In the first half, I felt a strain in my thigh. I didn’t feel any severe pain, but it was difficult to move as comfortably as usual,” Messi explained in the post-match interview area at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (USA).
Previously, the media and Argentine fans were worried when they saw Messi, after a fall, had to rely on medical staff to massage his right thigh. This famous player just turned 37 years old, then continued to return to play. Although he did not score, Messi played the full 90 minutes and completed 94% of his passes (32/34).
Sofascore site scored Messi 8.3 points, the highest compared to other players in the match. He also created two big opportunities, including the opportunity for Lautaro Martinez to score in the 88th minute, bringing a 1-0 victory for Argentina. The remaining opportunity was Messi’s own shot that hit the post in the 35th minute. In this match, even though he was 37 years old, Messi successfully dribbled the ball past the opponent 7/11 times and won 10/20 duels. challenge.
Messi’s efforts in playing conditions are not really good in terms of health and injury. If he continues to play, it will easily overload him. Messi acknowledged this, saying: “I feel fine right now. But I definitely need to rest to be in the best shape for the quarter-finals (on July 5).”
Meanwhile, Argentina coach Scaloni said: “I haven’t talked to Messi yet to see how he is. But regardless, our next match (against Peru at 7:00 on June 30 in the first leg) at the end of the group stage) there will be a lot of changes in the squad. Players who haven’t played a minute after the first two matches will have a chance to play. That’s for sure.”
The Argentine team is now certain to enter the quarterfinals of Copa America 2024 after two wins against Canada 2-0 and Chile 1-0. They only need 1 more point to secure first place and wait to see who their opponents (second place in Group B) in the quarterfinals will be, including Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador or Jamaica.
According to AS newspaper (Spain): “Not only Messi needs to rest, the other star of the Argentine team, Di Maria, is also planning to play necessary matches or at times to recuperate. The Argentine team still has many quality players who have not yet played, such as defender Lucas Martinez Quarta, midfielder Valentin Carboni or striker Alejandro Garnacho… They will have the opportunity to play in the match against Peru to give their seniors a break. rest”.
