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Soccer superstar Lionel Messi appears in a new Michelob Ultra TV commercia for the FIFA Club World Cup.
Lionel Messi did not start, but entered as a substitute as Argentina won, 1-0, against Chile in a World Cup qualifying match on Thursday night.
Julián Álvarez, of Atlético Madrid, scored in the 16th minute to fuel the defending World Cup champions, who sit atop the Conmebol World Cup qualifying standings and already clinched a spot in the 2026 tournament.
Messi began warming up early in the second half, and entered in the 58th minute at Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago, Chile.
He played nearly 40 minutes during the match, and turned in a relatively quiet performance on the same day he was named MLS Player of the Month with Inter Miami.
Messi fired a shot in the 67th minute that was deflected by a defender at the last moment. His free kick in 77th minute was on target but caught by the Chilean goalkeeper Brayan Cortés.
Messi delivered a stellar through ball from midfield to Giuliano Simeone in the 83rd minute, but Simeone was unable to provide the finish — his shot was outside the net.
Although a quiet night the office, Messi got some work in with his beloved national team during an international break in the FIFA calendar.
Messi and Argentina will host Colombia in another World Cup qualifier on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET before he returns to South Florida for Inter Miami’s run in the FIFA Club World Cup. Messi will play in the opening match against Egyptian club Al Ahly on Saturday, June 14 in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Messi will not start and listed as a substitute in Argentina’s starting lineup for the Chile match.
The match will be broadcast by TYC Sports Internacional USA on DirecTV, YouTube TV, Sling TV and Fubo. Fanatiz also has a pay-per-view live stream available.
Chile will host Argentina on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET (10 p.m. in Argentina).
What did Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni say about Messi?
“We haven’t decided yet whether he’ll start the game or not. I need to talk to him, especially because it would be good to know how he’s feeling physically. We’ve talked about a lot of things, but not about this specifically,” Scaloni said about Messi Wednesday.
“We’re in a position where we can try other things, and in principle, he’s available to play. We’ll see. He had a good game last Saturday, so this guy is ready to play. We’ll decide how he is.”
How fit is Lionel Messi before Argentina match in Chile?
Messi, 37, is coming off one of his best stretches in 2025, scoring five goals in his last three matches with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. He was named MLS Player of the Month after seven goals and four assists in seven matches in May. He scored two goals with three assists in Inter Miami’s 5-1 win against Columbus Crew last Saturday.
When was the last time Messi played with Argentina?
Messi last played with the national team in November: He was scoreless as Argentina lost 2-1 to Paraguay on Nov. 14, 2024, and had the assist to Lautaro Martinez in a 1-0 win over Peru on Nov. 19, 2024.
Playing with Argentina before the MLS Cup playoffs last year, Messi was scoreless in a 1-1 draw against Venezuela on Oct. 11, 2024, then exploded with a hat trick and two assists in a 6-0 victory over Bolivia on Oct. 15, 2024.
Messi was unable to play with Argentina in March against Uruguay and Brazil, while he was recovering from an adductor strain. Argentina beat Uruguay 1-0 on March 21, and beat Brazil 4-1 on March 25.
Lionel Messi’s upcoming schedule with Argentina, Inter Miami
- June 10: Argentina vs. Colombia, 8 p.m. ET (World Cup qualifying)
- June 14: Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly, 8 p.m. ET (Club World Cup in Miami)
- June 19: Inter Miami vs FC Porto, 3 p.m. ET (Club World Cup in Atlanta)
- June 23: Inter Miami vs. Palmerias, 9 p.m. ET (Club World Cup in Miami)
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