The Auburn Tigers' sacred Saturday cathedral, Jordan-Hare Stadium, may bear witness to one of the all-time great soccer legends on Tuesday night. ESPN's Adriana Garcia sounded convinced that Lionel Messi would play a few minutes on Pat Dye Field when the Argentinian National Team hosts Iceland for a FIFA World Cup friendly on behalf of North America, this year's FIFA World Cup 2026 host.
Per Garcia, "Lionel Messi, meanwhile, has been improving from muscle fatigue in his left hamstring and could play some minutes against Iceland. The Argentina captain watched from the bench as his national team beat Honduras 2-0 in Saturday's friendly. Messi, 38, has been sidelined since May 25 when he picked up the muscular problem while playing his last match with Inter Miami before joining the national team."
Admittedly, I had taken a black pill on the idea that Messi would be held out of the friendly to avoid risking further injury before FIFA World Cup Group Stage play. It was easy to think the worst-case scenario as Argentinian national team manager Lionel Scaloni hedged his statement on Friday, a day before Messi sat out for a friendly against Honduras in College Station at the Texas A&M Aggies' Kyle Field.
"Leo is doing well,"Â Scaloni said Friday. "Leo trained for a part with the group, which is important. He's not fully separated; he's coming along. He may be part of the friendly matches, getting some minutes in these two friendlies. We'll see if it's the one tomorrow or the next one. But he's doing a lot better and that gives us tranquility."
It felt like a ploy to sell tickets and not reveal Messi's status in a bait-and-switch-esque maneuver. If Messi wasn't playing, it feels like that decision was made before the day of the match. Announce it so ticket-buyers aren't tricked into committing to a game they otherwise wouldn't have gone to if the promise of seeing Messi was off the table.
If Messi plays tomorrow night, though, which seems likelier than not after Garcia's report, it means a few things.
Lionel Messi is giving Auburn an unforgettable moment Texas A&M didn't get
Messi plays for the Inter Miami CF Herons, so it's not as though Americans can't see the legendary forward. He's playing for Argentina in a World Cup year, though. That is a major brag for Tiger fans to be hosting him.
It's a flex the 12th Man can't claim after Messi was on the bench to see his team handle Honduras on Saturday. Texas A&M had Messi and Marcel Reed exchange No. 10 jerseys, but the Aggies can only say Messi warmed up on their field. Auburn fans look like they'll have the chance to say Messi's cleat marks are on Pat Dye Field. Imagine if he were to score?
AU having Messi do his one warm-up in Lee County, Alabama, is an incredible feat. It's the kind of boost the city and fanbase needed.
Here's to the moment Tiger fans, and anyone traveling to Auburn for the game, are about to have with Messi on Tuesday night.
Add us as a preferred source on Google