Lionel Messi says he hopes to represent Argentina at the 2026 World Cup but admits his participation will depend on his fitness.
Speaking to NBC News, the Inter Miami forward said he will wait until next year to assess whether he can still perform at the top level when Argentina begin preparations to defend their 2022 title.
🚨Começou a entrevista exclusiva de Messi a @NBCNews
Logo de cara o apresentador chama o Messi de GOAT, e ele responde assim: “😁”.
Sim, as perguntas serão em inglês e Messi está respondendo em espanhol. Ele entende inglês mas não curte falar inglês.
— Inter Miami Zone (@InterMiamiZone) October 27, 2025
“It’s something extraordinary to be able to be in a World Cup, and I would like to be there,” Messi said. “To feel well and to be an important part of helping my national team, if I am there. I’m going to assess that on a day-to-day basis when I start preseason next year with Inter and see if I can really be 100%.”
The 38-year-old, who recently extended his contract with Miami through 2028, said he remains motivated to play international football despite previously hinting that Qatar 2022 would be his final World Cup.
“I’m really eager because it’s a World Cup,” he continued. “We’re coming off winning the last one, and being able to defend it on the field again is spectacular because it’s always a dream to play with the national team, especially in official competitions.”
Messi has made 195 appearances and scored 114 goals for Argentina, winning both the Copa América in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022.
Reflecting on his triumph in Qatar, Messi described it as the pinnacle of his career. “Everything I went through and everything I did to achieve that—it was the dream of my life,” he said. “It all came to mind—my family, my people, and Argentina.”
In the same interview, Messi also called on Major League Soccer to relax its strict financial rules to attract more top players, saying the league needs greater freedom to compete globally.
“Every team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever each team wants—without limitations or rules,” Messi said. “If they were given that freedom, many more important players would come and help the growth of the United States.”
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. If selected, it would mark Messi’s sixth appearance at the tournament.
