According to the latest reports, the Argentina national team has arrived in Miami, Florida, for their pre-World Cup training camp, but the team’s talisman, Lionel Messi, is still waiting to join up with the squad.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed that the majority of the 26-man squad, led by head coach Lionel Scaloni, landed in the United States on Thursday, June 1st, and immediately began their preparations for the upcoming 2023 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

However, Messi, who is Argentina’s all-time leading goal scorer and arguably one of the greatest players of all time, is notably absent from the initial group. The 35-year-old forward is expected to join the team in the coming days, once he has completed his commitments with his French club, Paris Saint-Germain.

This delay in Messi’s arrival is not entirely unexpected, as the AFA had previously announced that the squad would be divided into two groups, with those players competing in the UEFA Champions League final on June 10th, such as Messi, joining the camp at a later date.

The Argentina squad will be based in Miami for the next two weeks, where they will participate in a series of training sessions and friendly matches as part of their preparations for the World Cup. This includes a high-profile encounter against reigning world champions, Italy, on June 14th at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London.

While Messi’s absence in the initial training camp may raise some concerns among Argentina fans, it is important to note that the team has a wealth of talented players, including the likes of Ángel Di María, Leandro Paredes, and Lautaro Martínez, who will be crucial to Argentina’s chances of success in Qatar.

Ultimately, the focus for Argentina will be on ensuring that Messi, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, is fully fit and ready to lead his team to glory at the World Cup, where they will be aiming to win their third title and first since 1986.