Messi's Fitness in Question as Argentina Faces Egypt in World Cup

Argentina will wait until the last possible moment on Lionel Messi. The captain will be assessed closer to kick-off before the world champions face Egypt in the World Cup last 16, his condition the dominant question hanging over Lionel Scaloni’s side.

Messi took a blow to the head in that chaotic 3-2 extra-time escape against Cape Verde in Miami, a match that asked serious questions of a side chasing back-to-back titles. He stayed on for the full 120 minutes at the Hard Rock Stadium, refusing to leave the stage in the city where he now plays his club football for Inter Miami. But the collision left its mark, and Argentina’s medical staff have been busy ever since.

He had started the night in familiar fashion. On 29 minutes, the 39-year-old did what he has done for nearly two decades: settled nerves with a goal, opening the scoring for the holders and briefly restoring a sense of normality. Cape Verde refused to follow the script.

Deroy Duarte dragged the underdogs level and forced extra time, turning what should have been a routine night into a draining ordeal. Lautaro Martinez struck early in the additional period, his finish in the second minute of extra time looking, for a moment, like the release Argentina needed.

Cape Verde came again. Sidny Lopes Cabral equalised to stun the champions once more, and the tension inside the Miami arena turned heavy. Only an own goal from Diney in the 111th minute finally broke their resistance and dragged Argentina into the last eight, where Egypt now await in Atlanta, Georgia.

The victory came at a cost beyond the concern over Messi. Facundo Medina, who had been heavily involved at both ends, was forced off, sparking fears of a muscular problem. Scaloni moved quickly to calm those.

“He finished very tired because we also used him quite a bit in attack,” the Argentina coach said. “He ended up cramping, but he’s okay.”

Scaloni has otherwise settled on a clear core for this campaign, and it leans heavily on Premier League muscle. Emi Martinez of Aston Villa remains undisputed in goal, his penalty-box presence and personality central to Argentina’s identity. In front of him, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez form the heart of a back four that mixes aggression with control.

Higher up the pitch, the structure is less conventional. Rodrigo De Paul and Thiago Almada, both natural central midfielders, have been deployed wide in Scaloni’s 4-4-2. De Paul, the tireless lieutenant, shuttles and snarls; Almada, more of a No10 by trade, drifts into pockets to knit play and link with the forwards.

And then there is the strike partnership. Messi and Lautaro Martinez remain the preferred duo, a blend of genius and penalty-box instinct that no coach would abandon lightly. Waiting in reserve is Julian Alvarez, the Atletico Madrid forward whose future at club level is uncertain but whose quality offers Scaloni a serious option from the bench.

Argentina arrive in Atlanta bruised, stretched, and perhaps a little exposed. But they are still alive, still led — fitness permitting — by the man many regard as the greatest of all time.

Egypt will sense vulnerability. Argentina will see a chance to reassert their authority. Which version of the champions walks out, and whether Messi is at the heart of it, may define the rest of their World Cup.