Will Lionel Messi play for Argentina against Guatemala? Lionel Scaloni provides update

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has provided an update on the availability of Lionel Messi for their final tune-up match ahead of the Copa America against Guatemala (June 14). La Albiceleste will begin their title defence with a game against Canada on June 20.

Argentina captain Messi has battled a number of fitness issues this year, leading to strategic management of his match load by club and country. The 36-year-old played only 34 minutes as a substitute in their most recent friendly, a 1-0 win over Ecuador in Chicago (June 9).

Scaloni informed reporters that the Inter Miami star will, in fact, feature from the start against Guatemala in Maryland. The manager also expressed hope that Messi could feature for the entirety of the friendly game on Friday.

“Leo (Messi) will play from the start. If he can play the entire match, even better,” he said.

Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates have lost only once twice since 2021, when they won the Copa America on Brazilian soil. They have lost only once since lifting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 18 months ago.

In an interview earlier this week, the Inter Miami forward declared that he had achieved everything possible in football and was satisfied with how his career has panned out. Lionel Messi and Argentina will now be aiming to defend their Copa America title, having lost in the final in 2016 on American soil.

Argentina are firm favorites to claim the title, seeing as they are the No. 1-ranked team in the world. They will first have to navigate their way through Group A, which contains Canada, Peru and Chile.

Lionel Messi rules out featuring in the Olympics this summer

Lionel Messi has put paid to talk of possibly featuring for Argentina in the Olympics this summer. The Inter Miami star was rumored to be among the names being considered by Javier Mascherano for the tournament in Paris.

Messi revealed to ESPN Argentina that he intends to return to his club after the Copa America and that he has spoken to Mascherano about it. He said:

"I talked to Mascherano and the truth is we both understood the situation. It's hard [to think about the Olympics right now] because we're in Copa America. It would be two, three straight months of not being with the club, and more than anything I'm not at an age to be in everything."

"I have to choose carefully, and it would be too much to play two straight tournaments. I've been very lucky to play in the Olympics, of winning it together with Masche. It was a wonderful experience on a football level. Olympics, U20, memories I'll never forget."

He added:

"It's spectacular to be fortunate enough to go through all that. I hope that the guys who get to go enjoy it in the same way that I did because it's special. The Olympics are special, different from anything else."

Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammate Angel Di Maria were part of the Argentina U-23 squad that won gold at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008. Argentina will be among the favorites to repeat their feat from 16 years ago.