Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi is set to temporarily leave his club as he has been selected to join Argentina’s national team for upcoming friendly matches next month.
According to ESPN, Argentina’s national team announcement includes Messi among the 29-member team preparing for games against Ecuador and Guatemala in early June.
Messi, who led Argentina to a World Cup victory, will also participate in the Copa America, scheduled from June 20 to July 14 in the United States. Argentina, which clinched the title in 2021, enters the tournament as the defending champions.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni has retained much of his championship-winning squad, calling up 22 of the 26 players from the 2022 FIFA World Cup team, including Messi and Angel De Maria.
The final squad for the Copa America, comprising 26 players, will be confirmed by June 15, following guidelines set by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).
Argentina is slated to begin their Copa America defence against either Canada or Trinidad and Tobago on June 20 in Atlanta. The team will then travel to New Jersey for a match against Chile, followed by a game against Peru in Florida.
