Will Lionel Messi play tonight for Argentina vs Puerto Rico in international friendly?

Messi was absent from Argentina’s previous game.

Will Lionel Messi be in the starting lineup tonight when Argentina face Puerto Rico in a friendly international game?

The South American nation have confirmed their place in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, and are now playing friendly matches.

Lionel Scaloni’s side were the best team during the CONMEBOL region’s World Cup qualifiers, topping the South American 2026 World Cup qualifiers with 38 points. Moreover, they lost just four games.

They will be among the favourites going into the tournament next year. They have good credentials to do as they are also the defending champions, after winning the 2022 competition in Qatar.

After their 1-0 win over Venezuela in their last friendly, La Albiceleste will once again be in action tonight, with their star player Messi also joining the squad. But will he play?

The 38-year-old couldn’t participate in their last game due to his obligation with Inter Miami the next day. In an MLS outing for his club, the forward inspired them to a 4-0 win against Atlanta United, scoring a brace.

Now, Lionel Messi has returned to training for the national side ahead of the friendly game tonight.

Will Lionel Messi play tonight?

Yes, Lionel Messi should be in the lineup to play tonight after playing for the Herons on Saturday. However, it will mainly depend on Scaloni’s selection.

Messi could either be rested or come off the bench, as the player has a crucial part of the season to deal with Inter Miami. Meanwhile, Argentina are just playing a friendly. The Herons’ manager, Javier Mascherano, has continued to stress regarding Messi’s fitness and how they are managing his minutes on the pitch.

Meanwhile, the 2022 World Cup winner has continued to deliver for the club, as he leads the MLS goalscoring chart with 26 goals so far this season.

Now, it remains to be seen if Messi will play tonight despite training with the national team ahead of the friendly fixture.

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