Will Lionel Messi be at the 2026 World Cup? Considering he remains part of the Argentina national team in the months leading up to the tournament, one would imagine that answer to that question is very clear.
Curiously, Messi has never come out openly and confirmed his participation in the tournament. Even as we are just a couple of months away from it.
Perhaps it is the fact that he is 38 years old now. He will know he is not what he once was. And possible injuries can always play a factor, even minor ones, especially at his age.
That being said, with 35 goals and 23 assists in 34 MLS games last season, he is still better than most have ever been.
Messi continues to deliver the goods at the international level as well. He played the full 90 minutes against Zambia. He found the back of the net and could have easily had another, only to give a penalty away to Nicolas Otamendi, who is another of the old guard in the twilight of his career.
Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images
After the match, Messi posted a story on his Instagram of himself in the Argentine jersey with the caption 'Argentina siempre', which translates to 'Argentina always' or 'Argentina forever'.
There was no goodbye message or any suggestion that this was the last time we were going to see him in an Argentina shirt. And that has raised hopes that Messi is going to be at the World Cup.
Common sense does suggest that. You do not remain part of the national team picture for this long, only to pull out right before the World Cup.
If Messi had wanted to step away from the Argentina national team, he could have easily done it after the 2022 World Cup triumph. In the eyes of many, that would have been the fairy tale ending.
Or he could have done it after their Copa America triumph in 2024. But he has stuck around, which suggests that he wants to be at the upcoming World Cup.
In many ways, this will be the first one in which he won't be under tremendous pressure to deliver. Messi is 38 and has already won the tournament. This could be a chance for him to enjoy the extravaganza one last time before he steps away from the national team. Expect to see him on the pitch this summer.
