Messi eyes World Cup defence for Argentina, despite age, fitness concerns

Lionel Messi acknowledged wellness factors volition dictate his relation successful defending Argentina’s 2022 World Cup rubric adjacent year.

Lionel Messi, inactive chasing planetary glory astir 2 decades into his career, says helium hopes to play astatine the FIFA World Cup 2026 successful North America, acknowledging his property and fittingness volition dictate his relation successful defending Argentina’s 2022 title.

The Argentinian large precocious extended his declaration with Major League Soccer (MLS) broadside Inter Miami done 2028, signalling helium is not yet considering status contempt turning 39 adjacent June.

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Speaking to NBC News, the eight-time Ballon d’Or victor said helium volition instrumentality clip adjacent twelvemonth to measure his carnal information earlier deciding whether to play successful the tourney crossed the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“It’s thing bonzer to beryllium capable to beryllium successful a World Cup, and I would emotion to,” the Argentinian skipper said successful the interrogation released connected Monday.

“I would similar to beryllium there, to beryllium well, and beryllium an important portion of helping my team, if I americium there. I’m going to measure that connected a day-to-day ground erstwhile I commencement preseason adjacent twelvemonth with Inter, and spot if I tin truly beryllium 100 percent, if I tin beryllium useful, and past marque a decision.

“I’m truly anxious due to the fact that it’s a World Cup. We’re coming disconnected winning the past one, and being capable to support it connected the tract again is spectacular, due to the fact that it’s ever a imagination to play with the nationalist team.”

Messi has enjoyed a nonrecreational vocation spanning much than 20 years, debuting for Barcelona astatine conscionable 17 successful 2004, earlier playing for Paris St Germain and joining Inter Miami successful 2023. He sparked caller involvement successful the American league successful a captious infinitesimal for the athletics successful North America up of hosting adjacent year’s World Cup.

While Messi has amassed countless nine and idiosyncratic accolades, planetary occurrence had eluded him until claiming the Copa America 2021 earlier beating France 4-2 connected penalties to triumph the FIFA World Cup 2022 successful Qatar.

“It was the imagination of my life,” Messi said of the victory.

“It was besides existent that it was the lone happening missing astatine a nonrecreational level due to the fact that I had been fortunate capable to person achieved everything astatine an idiosyncratic level, astatine a squad level with Barcelona, and I deliberation that’s each player’s dream. When you inquire a subordinate what their imagination is, it’s to beryllium satellite champion.”

Messi has played successful 195 matches and scored a grounds 114 goals for his country. A instrumentality for the 2026 World Cup would people his sixth quality successful the tournament.

Argentina guardant Lionel Messi shoots the shot against Puerto Rico during the archetypal fractional of an planetary affable lucifer astatine Chase Stadium, connected October 14, 2025, successful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US [Sam Navarro/Imagn Images via Reuters]