Lionel Messi's five-year streak set to end as Argentina handed double Copa America blow
Argentina is set to rest Lionel Messi for its final group game against Peru in Copa America after the 37-year-old complained about discomfort in his right hamstring.
The reigning champion has already secured qualification to the knockout rounds and all but guaranteed the top spot in Group A, meaning that resting Messi is low risk and may be beneficial for the remainder of the tournament. It won't just be Messi who misses out, as head coach Lionel Scaloni has been handed a one-game suspension.
CONMEBOL has taken action after Argentina was out late for the second half of its game against Canada, something that opposition head coach Jesse Marsch complained about in his postgame press conference. Scaloni has been given a touchline ban and been fined, with CONMEBOL keen to set an example for the rest of the tournament.
Argentina is the favorite to win Copa America and has enough talent to ease past Peru without Messi or the guidance of its head coach. However, an impressive Messi record is set to come to an end, as he's played every single minute in major international tournaments since June 2019.
Messi has been pivotal to Argentina for well over a decade, and there's no surprise that he played every minute as they won Copa America in 2021, and the World Cup in 2022. In the 2019 Copa America, the current Inter Miami star was benched for the third-place game against Chile, after being eliminated by Brazil in the semi-final.
Since then, despite his age, Messi has been on the field at all times during major tournaments. The rest may be just what Messi needs, as although he played all 90 minutes in each of the two opening group games this summer, he hasn't been at his best.
Messi assisted Lautaro Martinez in a 2-0 win against Canada in the Group A opener but failed to carve Chile open on Wednesday. Messi has been dealing with some injury issues this season in MLS, and his fitness issues have continued into Copa America.
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Messi's impressive five-year streak is expected to end
"I felt some discomfort in my right hamstring at the beginning of the game. It was tight," Messi said to reporters after Argentina's 1-0 win over Chile.
"It wasn't as loose as it should've been. But I was able to finish the game. We'll see how it goes. In the first play, my adductor got hard. I didn't feel a puncture or a tear, but I did find it difficult to move freely."
Messi finished the game and is expected to be healthy for the remainder of the tournament. Messi isn't the only expected change, as Scaloni has already said he expects to involve a lot of the younger players against Peru. Unless there is a major upset, Argentina will finish top of Group A, making it a good opportunity to hand game time out to those on the fringes of the team.