Since securing the title at Qatar 2022, Lionel Messi has refused to guarantee his presence at the 2026 World Cup. The Inter Miami captain has always been cautious when discussing his participation in the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, a recent video suggests he will be present to defend the crown with Argentina.
In recent hours, Adidas released a video to unveil the Argentine National Team’s new jersey for the 2026 World Cup, featuring nearly all squad members. Messi appears only at the very end, strongly hinting that he will be participating in the next edition.
The commercial, released by the brand designing the kits for the 2026 World Cup teams, shows a group of players engaged in a traditional Argentine card game, alongside the President of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.
Toward the climax of the video, Tapia asks a question, and after a brief silence, Messi appears on screen for the first and only time to deliver a single word: “Quiero.” This translates to “I do” or “I want to,” and the statement has been universally interpreted by Argentines as a positive signal that the captain will be present with the team at the 2026 World Cup.
The video features virtually every player managed by Lionel Scaloni in recent games, including Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, and Giovani Lo Celso, as well as former members like Angel Di Maria and emerging talents such as Franco Mastantuono, Claudio Echeverri, and Valentin Barco.
Scaloni’s squad for November FIFA window
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The Argentine National Team are scheduled to play an international friendly on Friday, November 14th, in Luanda, the capital of Angola, against the host country. Head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed the 24 players they are bringing for the match, with Lionel Messi leading the squad.
- Goalkeepers: Geronimo Rulli and Walter Benitez.
- Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Juan Foyth, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Senesi, Nicolas Tagliafico, and Valentin Barco.
- Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Maximo Perrone, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Thiago Almada, Giovani Lo Celso, and Nicolas Paz.
- Forwards: Lionel Messi, Giuliano Simeone, Gianluca Prestianni, Nicolas Gonzalez, Lautaro Martinez, Jose Manuel Lopez, Julian Alvarez, and Joaquin Panichelli.
