Lionel Messi Casts Doubt on Playing in 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi has once again cast uncertainty over his international future, admitting that the 2026 FIFA World Cup may come too late for him despite Argentina’s early qualification.

His remarks, made after a two-goal performance in a 3–0 win against Venezuela in what seemed to be his last game on home soil, have reignited debate over whether the world will see him on football’s grandest stage again.

At 38, Messi is battling the realities of age and recurring injuries, with a stop–start season at Inter Miami raising fresh questions about how much his body can endure.

After the win, the Argentina captain was candid about his dilemma.

“In the past, I said it, logically, it was unlikely I’d play in a World Cup at 39. It’s nine months away, which is close, but it’s a long time as well,” he told reporters at the Monumental.

“I love this, I love playing, and I never want it to end—but the moment is coming. I’m aware it will happen when it has to happen.”

Head coach Lionel Scaloni has already decided to rest Messi for Argentina’s final qualifier against Ecuador next week, a move that underlines the management’s desire to preserve their talisman’s fitness.

For Argentina, the uncertainty comes just three years after Lionel Messi delivered the crowning moment of his international career by lifting the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. That triumph ended decades of national yearning and cemented his place alongside Diego Maradona in the country’s football folklore.

With two Copa América titles, an Olympic gold, and a Finalissima trophy to his name—alongside records as Argentina’s most‑capped player and the second‑highest goal‑scorer in international football—few would fault Messi for calling it a day on the international stage. However, if he does return for the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi could potentially break the tournament’s all‑time scoring record, as he sits just three goals shy of Miroslav Klose’s mark of 16.

Now, with Argentina safely through to the expanded 48‑team tournament in North America, the football world waits to see if their greatest‑ever player has one last dance left in him. Whether he bows out before 2026 or under the spotlight of another World Cup, Messi’s farewell will mark the end of an era for both Argentina and the game itself.