Lionel Messi: Argentina hero refuses to close door on playing in 2026 World Cup - 'Depends on how I feel'

Lionel Messi says he could play at the 2026 World Cup with Argentina if he feels “able to compete and help my team-mates".

The legendary forward captained his country to their third World Cup crown in Qatar in late 2022, winning the tournament’s Golden Ball award in the process.

Messi previously said that the 2022 World Cup would be his last, but he has now opened up the possibility of a return for the expanded event in the United States, Canada and Mexico in two years' time.

“It depends on how I feel, how I am physically and being realistic with myself,” Messi said in an interview with Infobae.

“And to know if I am up to the task of being able to compete and help the team-mates next to me.”

Messi turns 37 later this month and left European club football last summer to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

He will be back in the blue and white of Argentina this summer when he takes his nation to their Copa America title defence in the United States.

And although he will be 39 by the time the next World Cup comes around, he is keeping the door open.

“There's a while left and I don't know how I'm going to be at that moment,” Messi said. 

“Age is also a reality that is there, although it is a number. The games that I am going to play are not the same as the ones I played when I was in Europe in competition, which were every three days, or in the UEFA Champions League or in the league where I was, both in France [with Paris Saint-Germain] and in Spain [with Barcelona].

“But it depends on how I feel and how I feel when I'm next to my team-mates and see if I'm still up to the task or not.” 

For now, Messi’s focus is on the retaining the Copa America, which begins on June 20 when Argentina face Canada in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Albiceleste will also take on Peru and Chile in Group A as they bid to pull away from Uruguay and become the sole tournament record title-holders with a 16th trophy.  

“I think that Argentina is always a favourite, beyond the fact that we come from winning all that,” Messi said.

“Previously, when it was not a given that we could achieve the objectives, Argentina was always a favourite.

“When a championship starts, whether it is the World Cup, Copa America or whatever, Argentina is a candidate just like Brazil and more in this Copa America.

“But I think that today the South American national teams are very strong. Uruguay is very good, Colombia, Ecuador. Then it becomes very difficult to play all the games, but I think it will be a very equal Copa America.” 

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