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AUBURN, ALABAMA - JUNE 09: Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after scoring the team's second goal during the international friendly match between Argentina and Iceland at Jordan-Hare Stadium on June 09, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama.

Lionel Messi has been cleared to start defending World Cup champion Argentina’s Group J opener against Algeria, easing concerns after a recent hamstring issue and setting the stage for what could be the final World Cup run of his legendary career.

After weeks of uncertainty surrounding his fitness, Messi trained without limitations and enters Tuesday night’s match healthy, leaving Argentina focused on managing his workload rather than his availability.

Messi was substituted during Inter Miami’s final MLS match prior to the World Cup, the result of muscle fatigue and a mild hamstring strain rather than anything structural, according to Fox Sports. He then sat out an Argentina friendly against Honduras as a precaution. Argentina had no interest in gambling its captain on a tuneup with the real campaign days away.

Argentina’s caution paid off. The Argentina-Algeria match kicks off at 9 p.m. EDT, 8 p.m. CDT, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, with the defending champions opening a Group J that also includes Austria and Jordan, Al Jazeera reported. Scaloni declared the group healthy, save for defender Nicolás Tagliafico’s calf, and confirmed Messi, goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, and Julián Álvarez are all available.

Messi’s Role and Outlook vs. Algeria

Expect Messi to operate as the creative hub in a 4-3-3, drifting deep to pull strings rather than chase defenders up the pitch, RotoWire noted in its tactical preview. The 38-year-old eight-time Ballon d’Or winner‘s passing range, set-piece delivery, and habit of dragging two markers toward him should open lanes for Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, and Thiago Almada.

Algeria, back at the World Cup after a 12-year absence, will likely sit compact and hunt counters through Riyad Mahrez. The math still favors Argentina heavily. Betting markets installed the Albiceleste as roughly 5-2 favorites, with a controlled win in the 1-0 to 2-1 range and Messi involved in a goal or assist among the most common forecasts, CBS Sports reported.

How long he stays on the field is another question. Scaloni is expected to manage his captain’s minutes carefully across the group stage, a balancing act between protecting a fragile asset and chasing records. Messi sits four goals shy of Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring mark of 16, a number well within reach if the legs hold up across a long tournament.

Lionel Messi’s Legacy and a Likely Final World Cup

This is widely framed as Messi’s last dance on the sport’s biggest stage. He turns 39 next week, and reports indicate he intends to step away from the national team after this tournament, Yahoo Sports reported, though no formal announcement has come.

The resume needs no padding. More than 900 career goals, four Champions League titles at Barcelona, back-to-back Copa América titles, and the 2022 World Cup crown in Qatar that had eluded him for so long, ESPN documented. He remains Argentina’s all-time leading scorer with more than 110 international goals and stands as the only player to win two World Cup Golden Balls.

The Argentina manager described his squad as calm and arriving in form, unbothered by the weight of an opener. For Messi, calm has rarely been the problem. Tuesday simply asks him to start a farewell that the entire football world expects to end with one more deep run.