Argentina captain Lionel Messi announced on Tuesday that he is not planning to participate in the upcoming edition of the World Cup, which will be held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada in 2026.
Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the month, when the former Barcelona star will join Inter Miami.
“I don’t think so. This was my last World Cup,” Messi told Chinese sports media Titan Sports when asked if he will take part in the 2026 edition.
“I will see how things turn out, but as of now, I don’t intend to go to the next World Cup.”
Messi recently played his fifth World Cup in Qatar, where he won the trophy with Argentina.
He had previously taken part in the tournaments held in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018, but failed to secure go all the way to glory.
The closest he came was in 2014 when Argentina reached the final but lost to Germany.
Praise for Guardiola
During the interview, Messi addressed various topics of interest to Chinese fans.
He expressed gratitude towards Chinese supporters, stating that they have always treated him and his team well.
Messi also mentioned watching the Champions League final, won by Manchester City, despite the time difference in China.
He praised his former coach Pep Guardiola, with whom he maintains frequent contact, stating that Guardiola has proven to be the “best coach in the world”.
While Messi stated that he does not aspire to step into coaching in the future, he left room for possible changes in his thoughts, saying that he is not certain.
Relationship with Barcelona
The Argentine forward emphasized his close connection with the club. However, he mentioned that it feels strange for him to hear his name being chanted by fans in Barcelona when he is not present. Nevertheless, he finds it beautiful.
Currently in China with the Argentina national team, the reigning world champions, Messi and his teammates are set to play their last two friendly matches before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
They will face Australia in Beijing on Thursday and Indonesia in Jakarta on June 19.
The match against Australia will be a rematch of their encounter in the round of 16 of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where Argentina secured a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Messi and Julian Alvarez.
