Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria have reportedly let the Argentine Football Association (AFA) know they want to play in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics if Argentina secure qualification for the soccer event.
According to DSports.tv in Argentina, the pair would like to represent the U-23 Argentine national team if it clinches a spot in the upcoming Pre-Olympic Tournament that will take place in Venezuela.
The report claims AFA is already preparing a plan to make this happen. The idea would be to have a group of U-23 players join the senior national team during the FIFA international break in March so that they can be together and even take part in practice with Messi and Di Maria. But of course, all of this will depend on how Javier Mascherano’s team fare in the upcoming Pre-Olympic competition.
Argentina’s road at the 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament
The U-23 Albiceleste side has been drawn into Group B along with Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru. The tournament will take place from January 20 to February 11, with Argentina making their debut on Sunday, Jan. 21 against Paraguay. The top two teams in each group advance to the final stage, with the best two teams booking a ticket to Paris 2024.
A “Last Dance” for Messi and Di Maria?
Though sometimes it goes unnoticed due to their fantastic performances, neither Messi nor Di Maria are getting any younger. Therefore, the upcoming Olympic Games could be seen by them as a “last dance” with their country’s uniform.
Di Maria has already said he won’t play in the 2026 World Cup, claiming the 2024 Copa America will be his last tournament playing for Argentina. But now it looks like he could push his international retirement for the Olympics. Messi, meanwhile, has suggested he doesn’t see himself playing in the 2026 World Cup either, though he never confirmed it like Di Maria did.
The Inter Miami star, who turns 37 in June, is expected to play in the Copa America too, so it will be interesting to see how he and Di Maria manage to play in both competitions without being exhausted.
The 2024 Copa America, to be played in the US, will take place from June 20 to July 14. The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11. In the event Argentina make the Copa America final, Messi and Di Maria would have practically no time to rest before the Olympics start. But if their desire is to play in both competitions, they’ll probably find a way to do so.
Messi and Di Maria have already won an Olympic gold medal together in Beijing 2008, with the Benfica star scoring the game-winning goal in the final against Nigeria. 16 years later, they could be chasing their second medal in a potential last dance with Argentina.
