Argentina Team News: Messi and Emiliano Martínez Rested for Honduras Friendly — What We Know

Who, what, when — and why it matters

Argentina will face Honduras at Kyle Field on June 6, 2026, without captain Lionel Messi and starting goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez. Messi has been rested by the coaching staff as a precaution while recovering from muscle overload and will sit on the bench, according to TyC Sports insider Gaston Edul. Martínez remains out as he recovers from a fractured right ring finger and has been ruled out for Argentina’s two-match friendly window while undergoing specialist rehabilitation. The absences matter because both players are central to Argentina’s plans less than two weeks before their 2026 World Cup group opener against Algeria on June 16.

Why it matters

With the World Cup days away, Argentina’s staff are prioritising long-term fitness over short-term minutes. Messi is a 38-year-old whose workload is being managed to avoid fatigue setbacks. Martínez’s finger injury prevents him from competing during this U.S. warm-up, removing the team’s established number one from two opportunities to build match sharpness with the squad. Manager Lionel Scaloni has warned that players not at 100% risk exclusion from the final 26-man roster, underlining the significance of these decisions.

Who will play in goal and other squad notes

Scaloni confirmed that Juan Musso will start in goal against Honduras. Gerónimo Rulli is scheduled to start Argentina’s next friendly, against Iceland on June 9. River Plate youngster Santiago Beltrán travelled as a developmental fourth goalkeeper with the squad and could be given minutes off the bench in one of the U.S. friendlies. The wider squad also includes several players managing knocks — World Soccer Talk lists Leandro Paredes, Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Nico Paz, Julián Álvarez, and Cristian Romero among those working through varying degrees of fitness concerns.

Context: the fitness picture ahead of the World Cup

The reports make clear Argentina are handling a delicate injury landscape in the final training days before the tournament. Some players have rejoined full training while others remain on individual programmes; Scaloni has been explicit that last-minute changes to the final 26-man roster are possible if players are not fully fit. These friendlies therefore serve both as opportunities to blood fringe players and as controlled environments to protect key figures ahead of the official kick-off in mid‑June.

Key points

What it means and what happens next

In the short term, Argentina will test backup options and protect their key stars ahead of the World Cup. Musso’s start gives the coaching staff a chance to assess an alternative between the posts, while Rulli’s planned start against Iceland offers another audition. For Messi, the immediate priority is recovery: the team will decide whether to risk any minutes in the friendly against Iceland on June 9 or to keep him fully rested ahead of the Algeria opener on June 16. Scaloni’s public stance suggests fitness will determine final roster decisions rather than reputation.