After Lionel Messi won his first World Cup trophy with Argentina’s national team in December, many believed this was the last time the Paris Saint-Germain star would play on the greatest international stage. However, it appears that there is still a chance we will get to see Messi at the 2026 World Cup in U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Messi previously said on multiple occasions that the 2022 tournament in Qatar would be his last World Cup, but he seemed to have changed his mind recently. Speaking with Argentinean media outlet Diario Olé, Messi admitted that playing in 2026 will be difficult “because of age” but didn’t completely rule it out.
“I love playing football, and while I feel like I’m in good shape and enjoying this, I’m going to keep at it,” said Messi. “It seems like a long time until the next World Cup, but it depends on how my career is going.”
Messi will be 39 once the next World Cup is staged, but it isn’t hard to imagine him still playing at a high level three years from now. He was the best player on the field in Qatar at the age of 35 and continues to be dominant in Europe with PSG.
Playing at one more World Cup would give Lionel Messi an opportunity to add more records to his resume. It would be his sixth World Cup, making him the only player in history to appear in that many tournaments. Messi would also have a shot of breaking the World Cup’s all-time scoring record, trailing three goals behind Miroslav Klose’s 16. He already has more World Cup appearances than any other player in history, with 26.
