Lionel Messi successfully passed a late fitness test on Thursday to start Argentina’s Copa America quarterfinal against Ecuador.
Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, had indicated he would make a final decision just before the match regarding Messi’s availability, following a hamstring injury. Messi had missed Argentina’s previous group-stage match, a 2-0 victory over Peru.
The injury occurred during Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile on June 27. Despite needing on-field treatment, Messi, aged 37, completed the match and resumed training on Wednesday.
Argentina aims to extend their streak of reaching the Copa America semifinals for the fifth consecutive tournament. The team currently holds an eight-match winning streak across all competitions.
