Lionel Messi no longer announces that he will not attend the 2026 World Cup like before.
Messi enjoys the joy of playing for Argentina
Before and during the 2022 World Cup, Lionel Messi repeatedly affirmed that it would be the last final round he would attend, whether Argentina won the championship or not. At that time, this striker was 35 years old and he did not think he could maintain peak performance in the 2026 World Cup.
After winning the championship with Argentina, Messi reaffirmed that he would not participate in another World Cup. The striker said he is not in a hurry to retire from his international career because he wants to play as the “reigning world champion”, but refused to talk about the 2026 World Cup .
However, Messi seems to have changed his mind after going to the US to play for Inter Miami . It should be remembered that the United States is one of the host countries of the 2026 World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico. In addition, the 2023 Golden Ball also wants to continue contributing to Argentina when feeling the love of fans in this country.
Before helping Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, Messi was often criticized for only exploding in Barcelona. Sharing in the latest interview on Star+, Messi said: “Time will tell whether I will appear at the 2026 World Cup or not. In fact, I’m approaching an age where players normally don’t go to major tournaments. So I said I don’t think I will go to the 2026 World Cup.”
“After winning the 2022 World Cup, people even thought I would soon retire from the national team. That’s a normal thought, because I’ve achieved everything. However, things are going in a different direction. Right now, I want to play for Argentina more than ever. After many years of suffering, we are living a special moment that I have never experienced with Argentina. I want to enjoy it.”
“I’m not thinking about the 2026 World Cup, but I’m also not saying 100% I won’t participate because anything can happen. Due to my age and performance, I think it’s normal for me not to participate. But things are going on. I will see how I play in Copa America and evaluate further. Reality is not easy, but I do not deny any possibility.”
