FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Final - Argentina v France - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 18, 2022 Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after receiving the Golden Ball award as he celebrates after winning the World Cup REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo
A major question on the minds of football fans worldwide is whether Lionel Messi will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The legendary Argentine forward has left many wondering about his future in international football.
During an interview held over the last international break, Messi was asked about his potential involvement in the next World Cup. However, the 2022 World Cup winner chose to remain non-committal, emphasizing that he is in no rush to make any decisions regarding his participation.
Reflecting on his current mindset, Messi said, “Well, everything happens for a reason in life. Right now, I’m just taking things day by day.
I feel great at the moment, but when the time comes, we’ll see what happens. I don’t want to make any definitive statements right now—I’m simply enjoying every moment as it comes.”
Messi’s comments have sparked further speculation, leaving fans to eagerly await whether the football icon will grace the global stage one last time in 2026, or if his remarkable World Cup journey ended with Argentina’s triumph in 2022.
He also was asked about what was left for him to win.
“What’s left for me in football? Thank God I can say that I’ve achieved every dream I had. My biggest dream was to win the World Cup. have won everything for club of my life in Barça, and I also won titles in PSG. I can’t ask for anything else. The end is near, and I’m enjoying and valuing every moment as maximum as possible. Argentina and Barcelona are my home. Today, I am also in a place where I feel very happy, a new stage in my life.”
Messi is the most decorated footballer in the world, having won the highest number of trophies in history, a feat that has never being achieved by any footballer both past and present. The most significant of them will be when he led Argentina to winning the World Cup at the 2022 competition hosted in Qatar.
