Messi's Absence from Pre-World Cup Friendly

Lionel Messi was not part of Argentina's squad for their World Cup warm-up match against Honduras, as he continues to manage muscle fatigue and a mild strain in his left hamstring. The incident occurred just weeks before his 39th birthday and the start of the highly anticipated World Cup.

Despite warming up with his teammates at Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A&M before Saturday night's game, Messi remained on the bench, observing as Argentina secured a 2-0 victory. Team officials have stated that Messi's recovery timeline will be determined by his "clinical and functional progress."

The muscle fatigue in his left hamstring was initially diagnosed by his Major League Soccer (MLS) club, Inter Miami, after Messi made an early exit from their 6-4 win against Philadelphia late last month.

Argentina is scheduled to play Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday for their final World Cup tune-up. Following this, the team will resume training in Kansas City, where they are set to commence their World Cup title defense against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium on June 16. During recent workouts in Kansas City, Messi was seen performing conditioning exercises separately from the main team.

Widely anticipated to retire from international football after this tournament, Messi currently holds the record for the most World Cup matches played (26) and is four goals shy of surpassing Miroslav Klose's World Cup record of 16 goals.

Other Nations Secure Friendly Wins

In other pre-World Cup friendly matches, several prominent footballing nations also registered victories. Multi-time champions Brazil and Germany secured narrow wins, while former champions England and hopefuls Portugal also emerged victorious.

The day of friendlies showcased some of the biggest names in football, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Vinicius Jr, and Mohamed Salah.

Brazil's Victory Overshadowed by Injury

Five-time champions Brazil defeated Egypt 2-1 in Cleveland. Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring early, followed by Lyon forward Endrick who added a second goal in the second half after an assist from Barcelona's Raphinha. Zico scored for Egypt, with Salah playing the first half and appearing to be in good form.

However, the match was marred by a potential serious injury to Brazil and AS Roma right-back Wesley, who left the field in tears with what appeared to be a significant muscle injury in his left leg. This injury could potentially rule him out of the World Cup, although teams are permitted to make player changes up to one day before their first games.

England's Narrow Win

Harry Kane's first-half header secured a 1-0 victory for England against New Zealand in Tampa. Other European teams like Scotland and Belgium also enjoyed wins as they fine-tune their preparations for the tournament's kickoff next week.

England manager Thomas Tuchel rotated his entire squad at halftime, giving minutes to 22 players in the hot 32-degree-Celsius (89.6-degree-Fahrenheit) conditions. While the result was secondary to the team's process, Kane's clinical finish from Djed Spence's cross served as a timely reminder of his crucial role in England's aspirations for a second World Cup title.

Germany Edges Past Co-Hosts USA

Four-time world champions Germany extended their winning streak to nine consecutive matches with a 2-1 victory over World Cup co-hosts the United States in Chicago. Kai Havertz gave Germany an early lead in the second minute with a header from Joshua Kimmich's free-kick. However, the Americans responded with a stunning equalizer from Antonee Robinson, who volleyed in after Jonathan Tah cleared a corner.

Leroy Sane restored Germany's lead in the 57th minute with a powerful shot from 12 meters (39ft).

Portugal Triumphs in Tense Encounter

Portugal defeated Chile 2-1 in a heated match in Oeiras, which saw both teams finish with 10 players after Rafael Leao and Ivan Roman were sent off. Goncalo Guedes opened the scoring for Portugal, followed by Bruno Fernandes who added a second from outside the box. Lucas Cepeda scored a late consolation goal for Chile.

Fernandes commented to RTP, "We were superior in the 90 minutes, we managed to control the game very well, especially having a lot of the ball in the last third."

Belgium Dominates Tunisia

Striker Romelu Lukaku continued his return from injury for Belgium, playing 25 minutes off the bench in their commanding 5-0 victory over 10-man Tunisia in Brussels. Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio, and Nicolas Raskin were the goal scorers, with Lukaku also providing an assist.

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia stated, "We wanted a good performance in front of our fans. It is a good preparation for the World Cup, we know this team can do great things."

Scotland's Strong Showing

A much-changed Scotland side scored all their goals in the first half, securing a dominant 4-0 success over Bolivia in New Jersey. Che Adams netted twice, complemented by strikes from Lawrence Shankland and Scott McTominay in an impressive display.

Other friendly results included a 1-1 draw between Switzerland and Australia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina also drawing 1-1 with Panama.

Source: Al Jazeera