Argentina’s football legend Lionel Messi has expressed his desire to play for the national team at next year’s World Cup but says he will only make the final decision after assessing his physical condition.
The 38-year-old Inter Miami striker, who captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, revealed in an interview with NBC News that his participation in the 2026 tournament—to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada—will depend on how his body feels ahead of the competition.
“It’s something extraordinary to be able to be in a World Cup and I would love to,” said Messi, who turns 39 next June. “I would like to be there, to be well and be an important part of helping my national team, if I am there.”
He added, “I’m going to assess that on a day-to-day basis when I start preseason next year with Inter and see if I can really be 100%, if I can be useful to the group, to the national team, and then make a decision.”
Messi, who has been playing professionally since 2004, said the thought of representing Argentina again on football’s biggest stage excites him deeply. “I’m really eager because it’s a World Cup. We’re coming off winning the last World Cup and being able to defend it on the field again is spectacular because it’s always a dream to play with the national team, especially in official competitions,” he said.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner began his professional career with Barcelona at age 17, later joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 before moving to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami in 2023.
Speaking on his life in the U.S., Messi said he enjoys living in Miami. “The truth is that I like everything about living here. I spent a lot of time in Barcelona, which for me is an extraordinary city, where I grew up and had many spectacular moments, and which we miss a lot. But Miami is a city that allows us to live very well, that makes us enjoy life, that allows us to be calm, that allows the kids to be themselves and live day to day,” he said.
Messi currently holds the record for the most appearances for Argentina with 195 caps and has scored 114 international goals.
What You Should Know
Lionel Messi, 38, says he dreams of representing Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup but will only decide after evaluating his fitness during the next preseason with Inter Miami.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, emphasized that while he remains passionate about the national team, his decision will hinge on whether he can still perform at the highest level.
