The question everyone is asking: how is Lionel Messi before the important match against Mexico

A concern within the concern left by the defeat on the debut of the national team against Saudi Arabia was Lionel Messi’s performancewho failed to get as involved as he would have liked, as well as converting his number seven goal from a penalty in his 20th World Cup match.

Rumors about the Argentine 10 are always ready to circulate unbridled, the majority without support. In fact, on the eve of the initial match, there was a lot of talk about his physique that he trained a couple of times to regulate the loads. And, after the premiere far from his high level, the whispers of the versions about the state of him reappeared. Is there really something wrong with the captain?

The first thing to say to deactivate any possible alarm is that Messi is not injured. If that were the case, he couldn’t have played the 90 minutes of the friendly against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi, including a great goal, six days after facing the Arabs in Qatar, a duel he also completed.

yes that is true He has been dealing with discomfort in the lower left leg area for several months.. In April of this year, by chance, it was reported by Paris Saint-Germain that Rosario had to be absent against Angers, on the 33rd of Ligue 1 in France, for having suffered treatment for Achilles tendon inflammation.

After that, Leo continued to play and perform at a high level, both in Paris and when he had to wear his country’s shirt on preparatory tours. However, that discomfort was always latent. Every so often he still reminds him that he hasn’t left, that he’s still there.

Without going any further, 20 days ago he had to pull the handbrake again at PSG: He was absent against Lorient in the penultimate match before the World Cup. He then played 75 minutes of the next game before boarding a plane for the Middle East.

This season, Messi had already missed two other games, against Reims and Benfica in Portugal in the first half of October, with calf pain…

The fact that many do not take into account and that is mostly overlooked is that Lionel Andrés is no longer a kid. His 35 years don’t come alone and his intensity of play is sometimes felt. For a logical question of age, recoveries take longer.

This is the reason why the best player in the world must be cautious to know how to manage his efforts. He’s the one who knows best when to relax during rehearsals to get good at the games. He did it just before finishing first in his fifth World Cup.

Is this also the cause of their irregular interaction against Arabia? It’s true that Leo didn’t come down so much to make contact with the ball, his ally, which he usually does both in the national team and in his club. Many times he has remained well positioned at the top and this has made him lose importance in his team for some stretches.

Angel Di María, albeit with ill intentions, took on that extra role when in the second half Argentina were desperate and without an order in charge to try for an equalizer which they never achieved.

Messi had a header which was saved by the goalkeeper. The 10 albiceleste could not give power to that frentazo and the ball remained between Arab gloves. Y there the illusion of getting at least one point at the start was also extinguished.

Messi himself was in charge of communicating that he felt well physically at the press conference that he himself had decided to hold the day before. Over there he was impatient, relaxed and smilinga completely different face with which he closed the defeat that reverberated throughout Qatar.

The day after, the captain moved to the gym together with the rest of the starters, while the others went out onto the pitch to train more intensely. They say he’s in a good mood once the blow passes. He recharged his batteries when he reunited with his family Wednesday afternoon, as did the entire campus. And now he wants to turn the tables because, like he said, This could be his last Cup.

The Flea He will be in the tactical practice this Thursday and will, of course, also step out in arm tape again, leading the team onto the Lusail field this Saturday to take on Mexico.

Let’s hope the story ends differently this time.

Doha, Qatar. Special delivery.