Lionel Messi could be playing in his final World Cup as he preps for the 2026 final against Spain. However, it’s still up in the air whether he’ll suit up again in 2030 with Argentina, when he will be 42 years old.
The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 8. While Messi will be 42 at the start of the tournament, he’ll actually turn 43 during the event on June 24. Whether he takes the pitch is a decision only he can make.
If Messi manages to play in 2030, it would undoubtedly be a massive personal milestone for him and a historic moment for Argentina. However, it still wouldn’t make him the oldest player in World Cup history, that title belongs to someone else.
Who is the oldest player to ever appear in a World Cup?
That honor goes to Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who set a record in 2018 that will be incredibly tough to break at 45 years and 161 days old. Messi would come close, sitting just two years shy of the record.
Messi and El-Hadary (Getty Images, Collage by Gemini AI)
During the 2026 World Cup, it was already clear that Messi’s role wasn’t as physically dominant as it was back in 2022. Even so, he remained a clinical playmaker who came through when Argentina needed him, racking up a solid goal tally along the way.
What happens if Messi retires before 2030?
Argentina would have to find a replacement for his role, a creative, dynamic playmaker capable of drawing opposing defenders out of position. It’s highly unlikely they’ll find another Messi in just a four-year span, but they do have a talented pool of young attacking options ready to step up.
