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COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Lionel Messi sat out Argentina’s friendly match against Honduras on Saturday night as he continues to manage muscle fatigue and a mild strain in his left hamstring ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
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Messi, who turns 39 in three weeks, was active after warming up with his teammates at Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A&M before the game. He stayed on the bench, though, watching from the sideline as Argentina won 2-0.
The team has said Messi’s recovery time will depend on “his clinical and functional progress.” Argentina next plays Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday in a final World Cup tune-up before resuming its training in Kansas City.
Argentina begins its World Cup title defense against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium on June 16.
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During workouts in Kansas City on Wednesday, Messi came to the practice field after the rest of the team and did some conditioning work off to the side.
Messi, who’s widely expected to retire from international soccer after this summer’s tournament, holds the record for most World Cup matches (26) and needs four more goals to surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record of 16.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup