Defending champions Argentina will be one of the top contenders of the FIFA World Cup 2026 next summer, and Lionel Messi is expected to captain the team once again. He would be, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the only player to participate in six World Cups (from 2006 to 2026). However, the 38-year-old has not fully confirmed his presence at the World Cup yet.
Most recently, talking in an interview with ESPN Argentina, Messi said that he "hopes" to be there: "I hope I can be there. I've said before that I'd love to be there. At worst, I'll be there watching it live, but it will be special."
"The World Cup is special for everyone, for any country -- especially for us, because we live it in a completely different way."
Messi will turn 39 on June 24, during the tournament that takes place between June 11 and July 19 in the US, Mexico and Canada. The former Barcelona star says that Argentina has "an amazing group" and "new players keep appearing; aside from the ones already there, new faces keep coming in. When a group is like this, it's easier for newcomers to fit in. Argentina needs to take advantage of this moment".
This afternoon we will know Argentina's rivals in the group stage, as the World Cup draw takes place as a big show in Washington DC. Messi might have not confirmed his presence, but is still contracted with Inter Miami until 2028... and will have his own LEGO statue next year.