Argentina will face Ecuador for the Copa America quarterfinals but Messi's presence isn't confirmed, his injury status

Lionel Messi and Argentina finally learned how their next opponents will be in the Copa America quarterfinals. Ecuador advanced to the knockout stages after finishing second in Group B after drawing 0-0 against Mexico. Ecuador and Mexico finished on four points, but Ecuador advanced because they have a plus-one goal difference, while Mexico's goal difference is 0. Ecuador expects a tough game against the favorites of the tournament, but the Argentina fans are still worried because of Lionel Messi's injury status. The Argentine star did not play in Argentina's last match against Peru in the Copa America match, which was the last match of the group stage in Group A. According to Esteban Edul, Lionel Messi will decide on Thursday whether he is a starter or a substitute against Ecuador for the Copa America Quarterfinals. According to journalists close to the team, the Argentine star was recovering well, but it may be certain that the national team does not want Messi to risk an injury that can cause him to miss the rest of the tournament.

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Messi spoke about the discomfort he felt in the match against Chile. The Argentine star said, "I don't know. It bothers me a little, but I was able to finish playing. I hope it's nothing serious. It happened during the sprint in the first play. I didn't feel a sharp pain, it just got stiff. It was hard to move freely because of the discomfort. I'll see how it goes tomorrow."

Messi continued to talk about the illness he suffered as well, which caused him issues in the match against Chile. The Inter Miami star said, "I've had a sore throat and a fever for a couple of days, maybe that affected me today as well. It's not something old or something I had before, just a muscle strain. We'll see."

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Messi's injury exists, but it isn't major

Reliable Argentine journalist Gaston Edul reported that Messi's injury was very minor. Edul reported that Messi had undergone the tests, which determined that there was no major injury. The strain has resulted in something minor. He's working to be ready for the quarter-finals. The quarterfinals will be played on Thursday, July 4th, at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. If they beat Ecuador, they advance to the semifinal, where they will favor either Canada or Venezuela.