Messi was off to the side of the pitch for a few minutes in the first half. Argentina pressed on with one or two offensive plays without him, as Argentina’s trainer worked on Messi’s upper right leg area. Messi had his share of collisions with Chilean players but it was unclear what happened to Argentina’s captain.
The injury was short-lived, and Messi was back in action within minutes. He seemed in good spirits, too. Not long after that scary moment, he had a long-range strike that nearly gave Argentina a lead before halftime, and he then played right through a group of Chilean players. That last move drew audible gasps in the press box.
Still, any Messi injury is enough to raise eyebrows. The Inter Miami striker missed six games this MLS season due to muscle injuries, and had manager Tata Martino playing Messi under limited minutes. When Argentina traveled for a pair of friendlies in the US, Messi was a notable absence. His teammates at the time said they missed their captain and expressed how they wanted Messi to prioritize rest to make a full recovery in time for Copa America.
GO FURTHER
Chile 0-1 Argentina takeaways: Late winner, Messi’s injury scare, Argentina in quarterfinals
