Argentina fans will certainly be hoping that their talismanic attacker Lionel Messi plays one more World Cup before retiring. But Messi, who won the previous World Cup in Qatar, will be 39 years old in 2026. Will he continue till then? Messi has provided an update recently.
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The former Barcelona player, who signed for Inter Miami this summer, made it clear that he is not thinking about the next World Cup right now. He said his focus lies solely on the upcoming Copa America tournament.
Messi in a recent conversation was asked about the possibility of playing in the 2026 World Cup.
He said, “I don’t know if I will reach it. I said that before. I’m not thinking about it yet because it’s far away, but I’m thinking about Copa America. The goal is to arrive in good shape for Copa America in the United States. It’s going to be great. It will be looked into depending on how I feel at the time.”
Messi’s participation in the 2026 World Cup which will be held in US, Canada and Mexico will depend on if the World Cup winner can keep himself fit.
Notably, Messi sustained an injury during Inter Miami’s latest match against Toronto FC. Since the international break, the legendary forward was making his first start for the Herons in MLS.
Injured Messi was replaced by Robert Taylor in the 37th minute of play with the score still 0-0. He gave DeAndre Yedlin the captain’s armband before he left, leaving him with a solemn expression.
The Inter Miami coach provided an important update after the match. He said Messi has been dealing with a “old injury”.
It remains to be seen whether this “old injury” comes back to haunt Argentina in the next World Cup.
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