Lionel Messi reveals where he stands on playing his sixth FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2026

After Argentina defeated France on penalties in the Qatar 2022 final, the question on everyone’s mind has been how much longer Lionel Messi will continue playing international soccer. Now, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the forward has addressed whether he’ll be part of the tournament.

“The truth is, if you stop and think about it, it feels far away, but at the same time, time flies,” Messi said during an interview with former Argentine player Enrique Wolff on Simplemente Futbol. “I’ll see how I feel. Of course I think about it, but I don’t want to set goals either.”

When asked about the key factor in deciding whether to play next year, Lionel was clear. “This year will be important for me—to play consistently and feel good,” he explained. “I want to take it day by day and see how I feel physically, and most of all, be honest with myself about whether I’m in a condition to be there or not.”

The forward also reflected on how Inter Miami’s schedule poses a unique challenge and will be a true test for him as he approaches his 38th birthday. “This year I had a good preseason. I started off well and I feel good,” Leo admitted. “But it’s a long season because it started now and won’t end until December. There’s no break in the middle of the year. And in June we also have the Club World Cup, which is another tournament with a lot of games.”

Lionel Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar 2022.

Messi doesn’t want to repeat the 2024 Copa America experience

Whenever Lionel Messi talks about the national team, he’s quick to express how proud he is to be part of the Argentina squad led by Lionel Scaloni. “It’s incredible what this group has done and continues to do. It’s crazy, and I really enjoy being part of it,” he said. However, he also made it clear that his future with the team depends on his physical condition: “I’m focused on the day to day and on feeling good.”

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On that note, the Inter Miami superstar reflected on how things didn’t go as planned for him with Argentina in 2024, particularly during the Copa America, where he dealt with two injuries. “Last year I started preseason and already missed games early on because of injuries. I wasn’t at 100%,” Leo admitted.

“It was a Copa America that already started poorly because in the second game, against Chile, I felt discomfort. I didn’t play against Peru here in Miami because of that. Then against Ecuador I played even though I wasn’t at 100%,” Messi recalled. “And against Colombia, just when I was feeling good, that happened,” he said, referring to the ankle injury that forced him off 20 minutes into the second half. “It was a shame to end it that way, personally.”

The record Messi will break if he plays in the 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi is currently part of an elite group of players who have competed in five World Cups, alongside global soccer icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lothar Matthaus, Rafael Marquez, and Gianluigi Buffon, among others. The Argentine forward has played in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022.

However, no player in history has ever appeared in six World Cups. And with the next tournament set to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Messi remains a key figure for Argentina—just as Ronaldo is for Portugal. Under that scenario, both stars seem poised to break the record together, adding yet another chapter to their legendary rivalry for global soccer supremacy.