Messi may not play 2026 World Cup in Jersey!
Sports desk, Sep 5 (EFE).-
Argentina soccer team captain Lionel Messi cast doubt on his participation in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“I don’t think I’ll play another World Cup. Because of my age, it’s only logical that I won’t make it. I’m motivated and eager, but I take things day by day, game by game. This year there have been a lot of matches. I had to stop for a few days, then came back and relapsed. Now I’ve managed to play three straight games. That’s what it is: taking it day by day, going by how I feel. What’s clear is that today was my last competitive game here,” he said after playing his last official home game in the South American qualifying match that Argentina won 3-0 against Venezuela, in which he striked two goals.
The captain of the Argentinian team, which won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, said that his priority is to feel good and be honest with himself.
“It’s just what I’ve been saying, game by game (…) The thing is, nine months can go by very fast, but at the same time, it’s a lot. We’ll finish the season at the end of the year, hopefully winning the MLS. Then comes preseason, and I’ll have six months left. I’ll see how I feel,” he added.
Regarding his possible departure from the national team in the near future, the Argentine star noted that he is not waiting for that moment.
“It’s not something I like, want, or am waiting for. But time goes by, and it’s been many years already. Sometimes I feel great, sometimes not so much. It depends a lot on that,” he said.
Argentina’s next match will be played against Ecuador in Guayaquil, with Lionel Scaloni’s team set to finish the qualifying phase as leaders. EFE cpg-fc/vm
