Messi will turn 38 during the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico, and he declared after winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina in Qatar that it would be his “last World Cup”.
However, the Inter Miami star is still playing at a high level. Argentina U23 coach and former international, Javier Mascherano, recently expressed his hope that Messi will continue to contribute to the Albiceleste.
Messi admitted that he is still thinking about the next World Cup, where he could set a record of 6 times participating in the biggest tournament on the planet. However, the owner of 8 Golden Balls said that he does not want to set a specific goal for himself at the moment.
“Actually, when you start thinking about it, it feels so far away, but at the same time it goes by so quickly, right?”, Messi shared in an interview with the Simplemente Fútbol program.
“For me, this year is very important (to aim for the World Cup), I need to play continuously, feel fit. Last year I participated in the pre-season and played the first few games, but then had to stop playing because of injury or not being 100% fit. This year the pre-season went smoothly, I started well and felt good.
The season is very long. It has started and it will last until December, there is no June break, and there is also the Club World Cup. A lot of games. I am still thinking about the World Cup, and then we will see what happens. But I don’t want to set myself that goal. I will live day by day, and see how I feel – especially physically. I will be honest with myself.
Messi did not feature in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying matches last month, where the defending champions secured their place at the 2026 World Cup. Head coach Lionel Scaloni also called for patience from fans regarding Messi’s participation in the tournament.
Messi currently holds the record for scoring 112 goals in 191 matches for Argentina, has the most World Cup appearances (26), is third all-time in World Cup goals (13), and was awarded the Golden Ball at the 2022 World Cup for best player of the tournament. He also captained Argentina to victory in the 2021 Copa America.
This season, Messi has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 10 matches for Inter Miami in MLS and the Concacaf Champions Cup. Inter Miami will next face Columbus Crew on April 20, before facing Vancouver Whitecaps in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals on April 24.
