Argentina fans get excited & dream of Messi playing the 2026 World Cup, key reasons & what should happen for him to play

While the Copa America is days away from starting, many Argentina football fans are unsure if Lionel Messi will be playing his last international tournament with the Argentina national team this summer. Messi has already won the Copa America and the World Cup with Argentina, but he remains with the national team and looks to win his second Copa America trophy. Many football fans hope that he will try to go for the World Cup again, which is two years away. Germán Carrara from Bolavip Argentina reports that there are many things that need to happen for Messi to play in the 2026 World Cup. The key reasons seem simple to apply to Messi as he would want a nice environment in the national team, playing the champions of EURO 2024 if they win the Copa America, the continuity of Lionel Scaloni “until the president of the AFA wants it,” playing only six months after his contract with Inter Miami expires and becoming the only footballer present in to play in six World Cups.

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Messi’s contract with Inter Miami expires in December 2025, and he seems to be enjoying his time at the MLS and in the United States. These may be the key factors that could lead to him playing in the next World Cup since he will only be six months away from the tournament to start. Messi did not close the doors of playing in the 2026 World Cup, which makes it a real possibility.

In an interview with InfoBae, Messi was asked about potentially playing in the next World Cup, and he said, “It depends on how I feel, how I am physically, and being realistic with myself. There’s still a lot of time left... in quotes, ‘a lot and a little,’ because it goes by quickly, but there is still some time and I don’t know how I will be at that moment. Age is also a reality that is there, even though it’s just a number.”

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Messi on the level he plays now compared to before

Lionel Messi played at the highest level for more than two decades, but now he plays in the MLS, which is the same as Europe. Despite playing in the MLS, he still gets called up by the national team, which has other players in Europe who are among the best teams in the world. Messi talked about his need to feel at the right level in order to consider playing in the next World Cup, where he will be 38.

Messi said, “The matches I will play now aren’t the same as those I played when I was in Europe competing every three days, either in the Champions League or in the league, whether in France or Spain. But it depends on how I feel and what I feel being alongside my teammates and seeing if I am still up to the level or not... let’s see!”