Lionel Messi Skips Argentina Training, Could Be Battling Injury Ahead Of World Cup Final: Reports

The entire world is waiting with bated breath to see Lionel Messi come out in the famous blue and white stripes of Argentina in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup against France on Sunday.

It could be the biggest match of the Argentine superstar’s career as he tries to win the coveted trophy on his fifth attempt. Messi, with 5 goals and 3 assists, has already left an indelible mark on this tournament. But the crowning glory of his decorated career would definitely be winning the World Cup, if he goes on to lift it on December 18.

But Argentina fans were left worried as reports surfaced that Messi had skipped training on Friday. A report in The Mirror stated that Messi was seen leaving the pitch, after the 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia, moving awkwardly and clutching his hamstring.

Although no concrete reports of any injury to the superstar have come out of the Argentina camp, several media outlets have suggested that many players who were part of the semi-final were given an extended recovery period and that is the reason some of the skipped practice and instead took part in a gym session instead.

Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had earlier dismissed suggestions that Messi was suffering from an injury. “No, no [he’s not injured]. We played 120 minutes against Holland, it was a hard game for him but you can see he wants to finish every game,” he told reporters.

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“Physically he’s really good and he’s man of the match every game,” he added.

Messi is locked in a battle with French star Kylian Mbappe for the Golden Boot as both men have scored 5 goals so far. France’s Olivier Giroud and Argentina’s Julien Alvarez are also in the mix, having netted 4 goals respectively.