Lionel Messi’s Status Uncertain for Argentina’s Copa América Quarterfinal

Historical Context: The Copa América is one of the oldest and most prestigious football tournaments in the world, dating back to 1916. It features national teams from South America and has seen legendary players like Pelé, Diego Maradona, and more recently, Lionel Messi. Argentina, a football powerhouse, has won the tournament multiple times, with their most recent victory in 2021. Lionel Messi, often considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, has been a pivotal figure for Argentina, leading them to numerous victories, including the 2021 Copa América title.

News Article: Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, has announced that Lionel Messi’s participation in the Copa América quarterfinal against Ecuador on Thursday remains uncertain. The decision will be made after the evening training session, in which Messi is expected to participate.

Scaloni, who led Argentina to a World Cup victory, stated, “We will train in a couple of hours, and then we will decide. One more day is always better. Yesterday we had good sensations, and today we will decide. Based on today’s answer in training, we will decide if Messi plays.”

Messi missed Argentina’s final group stage match, a 2-0 victory over Peru on June 29, due to a right leg injury sustained in their 1-0 win against Chile. His condition has been described as “day to day,” but he returned to training earlier this week.

Scaloni plans to have a personal conversation with Messi after the last training session to assess his physical condition further. “I haven’t spoken with him about the situation. I will talk to him today given it’s match day -1,” Scaloni said. “I thought it was fair that he took his time and trained as much as possible. After talking, we will decide. I haven’t talked to him, so we don’t know if he will play.”

While Scaloni is uncertain about the lineup against Ecuador, he emphasized that the decision to start certain offensive players will not be influenced solely by Messi’s presence. “It’s never been that way. It alters when Leo doesn’t play; it alters everyone, not just me,” Scaloni said. “We will try for him to be there, and if not, we will find the best for the team. He’s game by game, and the team will conform to the rival.”

Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez previously played together in a pre-Copa America friendly against Ecuador on June 9, leading to a 1-0 win as Messi watched from the bench.

Scaloni cautioned against overanalyzing that friendly ahead of the knockout match, stating, “Every game has its own story. They’ve played together against this rival, and we will decide after today’s training. They’ve worked well, and it’s an option. But we will see how everyone is today, especially Leo, and we will see. That game has nothing to do with [the friendly result]. It’s a completely different game, with different players I imagine. But every game has its own story. We analyzed and watched the game, but we think it’ll be different. No game is the same, but we will play in a similar fashion.”

Ecuador’s manager, Félix Sánchez, mentioned that his team has studied the June 9 game and other matches against Argentina in preparation for the quarterfinal. “We know the team we face is of maximum level. Messi is a differential player, the one that marks the most difference today,” Sánchez said. “But Argentina’s game model doesn’t change much with or without him. They’ve been with Scaloni for a while and developed a signature playing style with and without Messi on the field. We cannot repeat the game we had against [Argentina] in Chicago. We have analyzed that game, and all we’ve faced against them.”

The quarterfinal match will take place at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Thursday. The winner will advance to the semifinal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 9.

Summary in Bullet Points:

• Historical Context: Copa América is one of the oldest football tournaments, featuring legendary players like Pelé, Maradona, and Messi.
• Messi’s Status: Uncertain for the quarterfinal against Ecuador due to a right leg injury.
• Decision Timeline: Final decision to be made after the evening training session.
• Scaloni’s Approach: Plans to have a personal conversation with Messi to assess his condition.
• Team Strategy: Lineup decisions will not be solely influenced by Messi’s presence.
• Previous Matches: Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez played together in a pre-Copa friendly against Ecuador.
• Ecuador’s Preparation: Studied previous matches against Argentina, including the June 9 friendly.
• Match Details: Quarterfinal to be held at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas; winner advances to the semifinal at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.