How much will Lionel Messi play in World Cup qualifying match?

Lionel Messi rejoins the Argentine national team to assist the defending champions in reaching the 2026 World Cup in two more qualifying matches.

After last playing in a friendly with Inter Miami last Friday, Messi is scheduled to play when Argentina hosts Uruguay on Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET inside Estadio La Bombonera, the Boca Juniors stadium, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Argentina and Uruguay lead the CONMEBOL standings, with the reigning World Cup champions holding 12 points, while Uruguay is tied with Brazil and Venezuela with seven points.

This will be Messi’s first match with Argentina since his return from a leg injury last month, where he scored two goals to beat Peru 2-0 on Oct. 17.

How to watch Argentina vs. Uruguay in the U.S.?

The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be showcased on Telemundo and livestreamed on FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and ViX.

How much will Messi play against Uruguay?

Messi is expected to start and play the entire match.

After recovering from a leg injury in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying match on Sept. 7, this will be Messi’s return to playing against Uruguay, following his absence from six matches with Inter Miami in September.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni expressed confidence in Messi’s fitness, stating that “Messi is doing well. Beyond the fact that he played a game in the last 25 days, he has been training normally, he is in good condition and he is fine.”

How has Messi performed in recent matches?

Messi played the entire match in each of his last three appearances.

In his last match with Argentina, he scored twice in a 2-0 win over Peru on Oct. 17.

While he appeared rusty in his first match back with Inter Miami, Messi is set to make a strong return to the field for the upcoming qualifying matches.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Messi match today: How to watch Argentina vs. Uruguay, live updates