Lionel Messi Rules Out Playing at 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup will not be in his plans, according to Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina.

Messi, 35, led Argentina to victory in his fifth World Cup appearance last year in Qatar.

Despite Messi’s repeated declarations that the competition would be his last, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, his players, and fans continued to hold out hope that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner would play in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

In a report by Efe News Agency, Messi told Chinese sports outlet Titan Sports when asked about the 2026 World Cup: “My last World Cup was in Qatar, so I doubt it. I’ll wait and see what transpires, but as things stand, I won’t be attending the upcoming World Cup.”

Argentina’s upcoming friendlies against Australia on Thursday and Indonesia four days later will be played while Messi is on international duty with Argentina in China.

When his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires on June 30, the former Barcelona superstar revealed last week that he would be joining Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer.

To finally win the one major trophy that had eluded him throughout his career, Messi had a standout performance at the tournament in Qatar.

Messi became the first player to score in every round of the same World Cup since the round of 16 was instituted in 1986 by scoring seven goals in seven games.

In the dramatic penalty shootout that decided the match against France, he scored twice to help Argentina win its third World Cup.

The Golden Ball award was introduced in 1982, and he became the first player to win it twice (his first win was in 2014).

Reference: www.espn.com