Lionel Messi still key: Argentina legend Javier Zanetti reveals Inter Miami star’s hidden 2026 FIFA World Cup weapon for Lionel Scaloni’s side

As the football world looks ahead to 2026, questions continue to swirl Lionel Messi and whether the sport’s most decorated modern icon will once again take to the sport’s biggest stage. For Argentina, the debate is not just about age or minutes played, but also about leadership, influence and timing. Few voices have more authority on this subject than Javier Zanettia former captain who understands both the weight of the shirt and the demands of a World Cup campaign.

Speaking with the calm certainty of someone who has lived through multiple tournament cycles, Zanetti offered a perspective that cuts through the noise. While external doubts remain, his position is clear: Messi remains capable of helping Argentina in a meaningful way FIFA World Cup 2026. And the core of his argument lies in a carefully chosen message of nine words, which reshapes the entire conversation.

La Albiceleste enters the next World Cup cycle as defending champions, after conquering the world in Qatar in 2022. That victory, led by Messi, ended years of pressure and debate over his international legacy. Since then, the national team has continued to collect silverware, cementing its status as one of the strongest sides in global football.

Yet time passes quickly. Messi is approaching 39 during the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He now plays his club football outside Europe, which raises inevitable questions about rhythm, intensity and physical durability. Some have even suggested that Argentina should start planning without being at the center of the project. Zanetti strongly disagrees.

Zanetti’s confidence in Messi’s leadership

In an interview with FourFourTwoZanetti rejected the idea that Messi’s age reduces his value to the national team. “I don’t agree with that,” he said when asked if Messi should step aside as leader. “Messi is fully capable of continuing as a leader. He is intelligent, knows better than anyone how to interpret what the team needs and is surrounded by great players in the national team.”

For Zanetti, leadership is not about running more miles than anyone else. It’s about understanding moments, managing teammates and raising standards in decisive situations. These are qualities that Messi still possesses in abundanceregardless of the league he plays in.

Zanetti went even further and made it clear that Messi’s presence alone takes Argentina’s status to the next level. “I am convinced that with him Argentina will again be a great contender for the next World Cup,” he added. Halfway through the discussion, he put forward the sentence that best expresses his philosophy on Messi’s future. Reflecting on where the forward is in his career, he said: “The time has come for Messi to enjoy football.”

Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring

Those nine words completely change the story. Instead of seeing 2026 as a burden or a definitive obligation, Zanetti sees it as an opportunity.a space where Messi can contribute without the suffocating pressure that defined earlier chapters of his international career. According to the former defender, enjoyment does not mean detachment. It means clarity. It means freedom. And paradoxically, this could be the very thing that allows Messi to remain decisive on the biggest stage.

Decision, desire and timing

Zanetti was careful to emphasize that the final decision belongs only to Messi. ‘That has to be his decision’ he said. “But I think so. There are only a few months left and I believe he wants to represent his country again. I have no doubt that will happen.”

The former captain emphasized an important distinction: Messi no longer has to prove anything. Every major trophy is already on his shelf. What remains is the desire to compete – and Zanetti believes that desire is still there.

The World Cup itself, he suggested, will serve as a personal checkpoint. “The World Cup will certainly be an important testing ground to see how he feels and then he will decide calmly whether to continue.”