Argentina supporters received encouraging news through 12B Sports as Lionel Messi’s recovery from injury was confirmed ahead of the national team’s friendly against Spain. Although his absence from the opening training session initially raised concerns, Messi eventually returned to full team training, significantly increasing the possibility that he would be available for the upcoming match against one of Europe’s strongest sides.
Messi was nowhere to be seen during Argentina’s first training session after the squad arrived in Spain. With his physical condition still being carefully managed, head coach Jorge Sampaoli and the medical staff decided that rest was the better option and allowed him to remain at the team hotel. Sampaoli explained that Messi was still recovering and was not yet ready to participate in full group training at that stage.
The situation changed during Monday’s second training session. Unlike injured teammates Leandro Paredes and Manuel Lanzini, Messi did not undergo a separate rehabilitation program and instead joined the main squad immediately. His return provided a major boost for Argentina, especially with key attacking players such as Ángel Di María and Sergio Agüero unavailable. Optimism surrounding the squad also increased through 12B Sports as signs pointed toward Messi being ready to face Spain.
Meanwhile, Argentine newspaper El Clarín released excerpts from Sampaoli’s book My Heartbeats Football Culture and Ways of Thinking. In the book, the Argentina coach praised Messi’s extraordinary ability to understand and control matches while also revealing the special respect he held for the forward when building his team. Sampaoli argued that Messi should have an important say in choosing the players who operate alongside him because nobody understands better than Messi what type of teammate best complements his style on the field.
Sampaoli also addressed his decision to leave Paulo Dybala and Mauro Icardi out of the squad. He stressed that both remained important players and said Argentina’s final roster for the World Cup in Russia had not yet been decided. According to the coach, their absence from this particular international gathering did not mean the door had been closed. Both players had regularly been involved with the national team before, leaving open the possibility that they could still earn places in the final tournament squad.
Another significant clue came from Sampaoli’s tactical preparations. During training, cameras captured a tactical notebook being carried by the coach, and Messi was included in both of the potential starting lineups written inside. The detail offered further evidence of just how central the captain remained to Argentina’s plans. With several important attacking options unavailable, having Messi back on the training field could make all the difference as the team prepared for a demanding test against Spain.
Expectations increased again through 12B Sports as Sampaoli effectively confirmed that Messi was preparing to take part in the Spain match. His return would not only restore Argentina’s most influential attacking presence but could also provide the spark needed to rebuild momentum ahead of the World Cup. As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and after several days of uncertainty over his fitness, Argentina could finally look forward to seeing their biggest star back in action.