Lionel Scaloni has revealed he has no intention to rest Lionel Messi for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, despite his rigorous workload in Miami.
- Messi set to play for Argentina
- Scaloni won’t rest superstar
- Messi ‘happy’ at Inter Miami
WHAT HAPPENED? After two challenging seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, the 36-year-old signed as a free agent with Inter Miami CF this summer. Messi has 11 goals and eight assists in 11 games with Miami. Since Messi’s arrival, the South Florida club has not lost, won the 2023 Leagues Cup and reached the US Open Cup final. Argentina boss Scaloni also revealed that the star forward is extremely happy in the States.
WHAT THEY SAID: “I see him well,” Scaloni said when asked about Messi’s availability. “He is available to play, and we are happy to have him, as I always say. The plan is for him to play. If he has nothing, he will play as much as he can. We have no other intention. For us, that he is on the field is important. There is no reason to save him if he has no problems.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Messi had stated that the World Cup in Qatar will be his final international tournament, but following the Albiceleste’s victory on December 18, 2022, he has left open the option of competing in the 2026 edition.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
@Argentina
WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI? The World Cup champions play next at home to Ecuador on Thursday, September 7 and away to Bolivia on Sep 12.
