Argentina Star Lionel Messi Willing To Participate In The 2026 FIFA World Cup

Lionel Messi said in December that the World Cup would be his last after winning it with Argentina. However, it now appears that the FIFA World Cup-winning captain is willing to play in the 2026 tournament too.

New Delhi: Lionel Messi said in December that the World Cup would be his last after winning it with Argentina. However, it now appears that the FIFA World Cup-winning captain is willing to play in the 2026 tournament too.

“Because of age, it’ll be difficult to make 2026. I love playing football and while I feel like I’m in good shape and enjoying this, I’m going to keep at it. It seems like a long time until the next World Cup, but it depends on how my career is going,” Messi told Diario Ole, a sports newspaper in Argentina.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, would love to see the superstar participate in the upcoming World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Mess is also one of only six players to have played in five World Cups.

“I think Messi can make it to the next World Cup. It will depend a lot on what he wants and what happens over time, that he feels good. The doors will always be open. He is happy on the pitch, and for us (it) would be good,” Scaloni told Spanish radio Calvia FM last month.

If Messi plays in the 2026 World Cup, he could become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. After scoring seven goals in 2022, he has 13 goals, three less than record-holder Germany’s Miroslav Klose.