Coach Lionel Scaloni said that the Argentine national team is working on a plan so that its star player Lionel Messi can play in the 2026 World Cup. Inter Miami also hopes to have a star on the field for that season.
Lionel Messi’s future on the pitch is of interest to everyone: the Albiceleste, the Rosanegros, the MLS, FIFA, Conmebol, Adidas, Apple, and the fans.
He is the footballer who generates the most earnings, the most expectations, and the most attention. His presence is not only a promotion for the sport but also as a dedicated professional and as a family man, who sets the best example for children and young people.
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With all that Messi means and contributes, he does not escape having a fearsome enemy: injuries. They harass him, they torment him, and they prevent him from performing at his best.
“Messi really wants to get to the World Cup, it’s not that long away, just two years,” said the prestigious Argentine journalist Jorge Barraza. “The problem is his injuries. He is already 37 years old and all players of this age are fighting injuries. The only one of his age who doesn’t get injured is Cristiano Ronaldo, but he became tough, without reaction and without reflexes. It comes with age. In Messi’s case, he does have the reflexes and the footballing and mental clarity, but he is getting injured a lot and has muscular problems. That delays everything. He plays two games and gets injured. We’ll have to see.”
In the quarter-finals of the Copa America, Messi injured his right adductor muscle in a match against Ecuador. In the final win against Colombia, he suffered an injury to the ligament in his right ankle.
“We’ll see how Leo [Messi] goes,” Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino said after the star’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday. “We should have a full squad [including Messi] by the end of August.”
The star is unlikely to play in the next two rounds of the South American World Cup qualifiers, which resume on September 5. That day, River Plate’s Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina will host Chile. Five days later, in Barranquilla, the Albiceleste will visit Colombia.
Messi may travel with Argentina, but it would be foolhardy to put him in action in games that will be played on the fringes of the rules, and the star must be handled with care after two consecutive injuries.
With qualification on track, Argentina is thinking more about the Finalissima, which it will play against Spain in June next year, and especially about 2026, as all the critics say.
“Lionel Messi will be 39 by the time of the next World Cup, but with the tournament so close it is impossible to imagine the Argentina captain will call it a day before 2026,” wrote ESPN Argentina’s website. “He has made a successful move to MLS with Inter Miami, and the next 2 years will serve to prepare for his proverbial ‘Last Dance’ at the World Cup.”
Messi’s contract with Inter Miami, valued at between $50 and $60 million, runs through the end of the 2025 season. The New York Times website, The Athletic, reported that the deal has the option to extend it for one more season until the end of 2026.
When he retires, Messi will have the option of becoming a co-owner of Inter Miami.
Extending Messi’s career involves sacrifices. He will not be able to play in all the matches, for example, the League’s Cup, which is contested by the 29 teams of the MLS and the 18 of the Mexican League. In the same way, Martino will pace him so that he arrives in one piece for the playoffs of the American League and with the Albiceleste everything will have to be very well managed.
The possibility of Messi playing most of his matches in the final 30 minutes will also be weighed up. In this way, he will face opponents who will have to work hard for 60 minutes. This situation will surely be very difficult for Messi to accept, as he always wants to play from the start.
At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, 38-year-old Cameroonian Roger Milla came on in the second half and scored four goals to help his team reach the quarter-finals.
Messi Can Have a Similar Role
“If he gets a well rest, after returning to Inter Miami and finishing the year, and then a nice preseason that allows him to play without problems, well, he will have continuity,” added Barraza. “Whether he makes it to the World Cup 2026 or not, the answer will be given by injuries. And if he makes it to the World Cup with an injury, game, injury, game, he will have to prepare a month or two beforehand and not play with Inter Miami or anyone else, prepare exclusively for the World Cup. If that happens, he will be the World Cup superstar. He will also become the first man in history to play in six World Cups.”
If Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo makes it to the 2026 World Cup, it would also be his sixth participation.
Scaloni, for his part, is optimistic about the possibility of Messi joining them in the ultimate football event.
“I think he will be at the 2026 World Cup, but it will depend a lot on what he wants,” said the Argentine coach. “It depends on what happens over time, on whether he feels good. The doors will always be open. For us, it would be good.”
