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Lionel Messi gave fans quite the scare on Tuesday when he was seemingly bothered by his left hamstring, poking and touching it early in the first quarter of Argentina's World Cup semifinal against Croatia.
While Messi eventually made everyone forget about the issue with a goal in the 34th minute and an assist to Julian Alvarez later on, some fans couldn't help but be worried about his condition. After all, the team is already heading to the World Cup final where they'll face either France or Morocco, so they can't really afford to have their best player less than 100 percent.
Speaking after Argentina's 3-0 win, however, Messi eased the concerns of fans and hinted he's not going to miss the finale–not with La Albiceleste so close to winning the title again after 36 years.
“I feel really good, I feel strong and ready to play each game,” Messi said, via Evening Standard.
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“It’s not easy as we arrived tired but the group gained strength again and we played a strong game. I am enjoying this a lot. I feel very happy in this World Cup and I am able to help the squad.”
For what it's worth, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez confirmed there's nothing to worry about Lionel Messi, both physically and mentally. The 34-year-old forward is in top condition despite the initial fears about his hamstring.
“No, we play 120 minutes against Holland and it was a hard game for him [Messi],” Martinez said of Messi. “You can see he wants to finish every game, physically he’s really good and is Man of the Match every time he plays.”
Messi still have a few days to rest before the World Cup final, so hopes are high that he'll be 100 percent by that time.
