Messi turns the page on injury and returns to the national team with full readiness
Lionel Messi has almost fully regained his physical stability after Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that the captain's injury "is a thing of the past" and that the current situation is not a cause for concern ahead of the World Cup. Messi suffered a muscle strain in the back muscle of his left thigh during Inter Miami's match against the Philadelphia Union on May 24 and was taken out as a precaution to avoid worsening the injury.
Over the past few days, Messi has returned to participate in group training with the national team, which reflects clear progress in his recovery, while the coaching staff is considering giving him limited minutes in the upcoming friendly against Iceland on Tuesday (July 9th) to restore the sensitivity of the matches. According to Scaloni, the Argentina captain will be fully prepared for the opening match of the World Cup against Algeria on June 16, without any fears threatening his participation.
Argentina loses Leonardo Palerdi's efforts
The Argentine national team announced on Saturday that its defender Leonardo Palerdi will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which starts next Thursday, after suffering a right leg injury during training.
The Argentine national team said in a statement: "Defender Leonardo Palerdi has suffered an injury to the sole muscle of the right leg and will not be able to join the squad that will play in the World Cup."
The medical tests that the player underwent revealed that his recovery period will last for a period of at least a month, which means that the player's hopes of catching up with his country's matches in the World Cup have evaporated.
Balerdi was part of coach Lionel Scaloni's final 26-man squad last week after his consistent performances with French club Olympique de Marseille, with whom he made 36 appearances in all competitions.
Argentina have yet to announce a replacement for the defender, who has 11 caps, since he first represented them in 2019 in a friendly against Mexico, and was not in the squad that won the Copa America twice, or the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
A serious injury keeps Karl out of the German national team
The German national team has received a painful blow ahead of the start of the 2026 World Cup, after young striker Lennart Karl was taken out of the participation accounts, after suffering an injury during the training session, the German Football Association announced on Friday.
The federation said on its official Instagram account that Karl suffered a tear in a muscle bundle during the last training, which forces his absence from the tournament, wishing him a speedy recovery.
In a related context, the technical staff decided to call up Leipzig midfielder Asan Ouedraogo, to compensate for the absence of the 18-year-old Bayern Munich striker.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann had expressed concern about Karl's condition in previous statements from Chicago, on the sidelines of the upcoming friendly match against the United States, noting that the injury "does not look good" and that the player was taken to the hospital for the necessary medical examinations.
A worrying blow to Brazil
The Brazilian national team received a worrying blow a few days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, after right-back Wesley suffered an injury during the friendly match against Egypt, raising doubts about his readiness to participate in the tournament.
This comes at a time when doubts are still hovering over the participation of the Brazilian star Neymar with the national team, as he is still recovering and did not participate in his country's friendly match, which it won, at dawn today, June 7, against the Egyptian national team by two goals to one.