Lionel Messi reveals the criteria for deciding whether he will play with Argentina at the 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi hesitated about his participation in the World Cup 2026despite being asked about it repeatedly in recent years. With less than seven months until the tournament starts, the Inter Miami forward explained how and when he will decide whether to join the club Argentina national team.

After leading Argentina to victory at both the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América, Messi has once again led the reigning champions to the top of the CONMEBOL qualifiers. The attacker continues to play a crucial role Lionel Scaloniwho has already made that clear the decision to participate in the next World Cup will rest entirely with Messi.

Tom Llamas of NBC News asked Messi if he plans to play in the 2026 edition, which will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the Argentine icon did not hide his enthusiasm: “It is something extraordinary to be able to participate in a World Cup, and I would really like to do that.”

The 38-year-old then explained the criteria he will use to make his latest decision. “I would like to be in good shape at the World Cup and play an important role in helping my national team when I get there. I will evaluate this day by day when the preseason starts at Inter Miami and see if I can really be 100%, if I can be useful for the group, for the national team, and then I will make a decision.,‘, said Messi.

As he has stated before, Messi will not make a decision unless he feels fully fit and able to contribute. While he has continued to play his part in recent call-ups and has played a starring role in the 2025 MLS season, his physical condition and the fact he will turn 39 during the tournament will be key factors in his decision-making process.

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Messi concluded by reflecting on Argentina’s strong performance over the past year and his motivation to continue competing: “Obviously I’m very excited because it’s about the World Cup. We’re coming off the back of winning the last World Cup, and it’s incredible to be able to defend that on the pitch againbecause it is always a dream to play for the national team, especially in official tournaments.”

Messi and a dream that came true in 2022

After years of heartbreak and even a brief retirement from international football, Messi finally completed his lifelong mission by winning the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar in 2022. Since then the pressure has eased and in the twilight of his career he still plays with the same joy that defined his early years.

Looking back on that triumph, Messi did not hide what it meant to him: “It was the dream of my life. It was also true that this was the only thing that was missing at the professional level, because I had been lucky to have achieved everything at the individual level, at the team level with Barcelona, ​​and I think that is the dream of every player. If you ask a player what his dream is, it is to become world champion.”