2x FIFA Champ Mia Hamm reflects on Messi Mania in the US
Mia Hamm is not surprised at all by how Lionel Messi has taken America by storm.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
Lionel Messi and Argentina’s men’s national soccer team will take the pitch together again Tuesday night for a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Peru.
And thankfully for fans the question will be how much Messi plays, instead of if he’ll even play at all.
The good news: Messi will be in the starting lineup and will be wearing the captain’s armband for the defending World Cup champions.
Messi’s appearance in the starting lineup was announced about 30 minutes before Argentina’s match against Peru, which is set for a 10 p.m. ET kickoff inside Estadio Nacional de Lima in Lima, Peru. The match will be broadcast by Fanatiz.
Whether Messi is healthy enough to play 90 minutes or more remains to be seen.
Messi’s health has improved after a right leg injury limited him for much of the last month. He came off the bench for both Inter Miami and Argentina in his last two matches.
“Messi is fine, he has been training. We will make the decision (Tuesday),” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters on Monday.
Welcome back, Leo Messi.
Messi scored his second goal in the 42nd minute to give Argentina a 2-0 lead on Peru in the first half.
Messi trailed the play just like he did his first goal, 10 minutes earlier.
And Messi’s left boot did the rest.
Messi took Julián Álvarez’s pass and kicked it into the back of the net.
Messi has a brace in his first start since Sept. 7.
Messi trailed down the middle of the box, and was delivered a pass on a golden platter.
And Messi did what he does best.
Messi’s left boot connected and the ball hit the top right corner of the net in the 32nd minute to give Argentina a 1-0 lead on Peru.
Messi even leaped over a Peruvian defender after his kick as he began celebrating his goal with his Argentine teammates.
It’s Messi’s first goal since helping Argentina beat Ecuador 1-0 on Sept. 7, the game he was initially injured causing his setback for most of the last six weeks.
Messi, playing aggressive in the opening minutes, had a free kick opportunity in the 11th minute.
Messi was tripped by Peru’s Nilson Loyola just outside the right side of the box in the ninth minute to set up the shot.
But Messi’s kick was high and caught by the Peruvian goalie Pedro Gallese in the middle of the net.
Messi already with two kicks toward the net in his first start in more than a month.
Messi didn’t waste much time getting his first shot off on goal.
Messi’s left kick just past the 3-minute mark skated just outside the right goal post.
Here’s the starting lineup for Argentina:
What did Argentina’s coach say about Messi?
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had an encouraging update about Messi’s health on Monday.
“Messi is fine, he has been training. We will make the decision (Tuesday),” he told reporters.
And how much will Messi play against Peru? It will be decided after Messi and Scaloni convene about his playing status.
“It is to speak with him and to ask him how he is. If he is well… It’s a question of minutes, of how much he can play. If he is well, you already know what I think. If he is well, he will play. There is nothing more to say.”
How did Messi fare in his last two appearances?
Messi has needed time to shake off the rust following his layoff with Inter Miami last month.
Messi’s rust showed as he hit the crossbar twice in Argentina’s match against Paraguay on Oct. 12. One of those instances included a free kick on goal, which Messi has routinely made since joining Inter Miami this summer.
Still, it was a better outing than his Inter Miami return against FC Cincinnati on Oct. 7, when he didn’t have a shot on goal. Inter Miami lost 1-0, the club’s first loss with Messi in the lineup and one that ended their MLS postseason hopes.
Messi missed six Inter Miami matches in September after he was injured in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Ecuador on Sept. 7.
Where does Argentina stand in World Cup qualifying?
The 2022 World Cup winner, Argentina leads CONMEBOL qualifying with 9 points, followed by Brazil (7), Colombia (5), Uruguay, Chile and Venezuela (4), Ecuador (3), Paraguay and Peru (1), and Bolivia (0).
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is expanding to a 48-team format, meaning direct entry will be granted to the top six teams in South America. The seventh-place team will compete in a playoff for a berth into the tournament.
What’s next for Messi?
With Inter Miami CF out of the MLS playoff picture, Messi is unlikely to play in Inter Miami’s last two games of the regular season: Wednesday and Saturday, both against Charlotte FC.
Then, Inter Miami’s two friendlies in China will dominate Messi’s schedule on Nov. 5 and 8. Inter Miami will play Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in Qingdao, China, on Nov. 5 at the Qingdao Youth Football Stadium and Chengdu Rongcheng in Chengdu, China, on Nov. 8 at the Phoenix Hill Sports Park.
Messi will likely return to the Argentine team for matches against Uruguay on Nov. 16 and Brazil on Nov. 21.