Ever since Lionel Messi moved to Inter Miami, the vast majority of fans have believed the move was made with an eye on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Argentine has teased retirement since winning the 2022 edition, but has continued to play for the national team. And according to the team’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, they will let the legend take his time to make a decision.
Lionel Messi Yet To Discuss FIFA World Cup Participation
Argentina fans, and more importantly, Messi fans worldwide, have been patiently waiting for the news about his decision. The Inter Miami captain has repeatedly said that the decision will be made close to the summer tournament.
The 38-year-old played a key role in the World Cup qualifiers and helped the defending champions finish atop the South American table. He did confirm ahead of the game against Venezuela that it would be his final competitive game in Argentina.
Scaloni spoke with AFA Estudio this week and was quizzed about his recent meeting with Messi. The coach confirmed that he had a discussion with the national team captain, but the World Cup was not a topic.
“I met with Messi, I’m very close to his house. As for the World Cup, we’ll see later, we talked about many things, but not about that, because there’s still time. There’s no need to overwhelm him, let him be calm and make the decision he has to make. Then we’ll think about what’s best for the team based on that. For now, we talked about other things, not about whether he’ll be at the World Cup or not.”
Scaloni hinted that the captain will be included in the squad in the summer, saying that the Barcelona legend always wants to be present for the national team.
“Those of us who know him understand that he will never relax. He’s a born competitor, he wants to win, he wants to play, he always wants to be there. And that’s extremely important, especially for his teammates, who see their captain behave that way and want to come and play for the national team wherever it may be, he always wants to be there.”
Messi has said he will be in the United States during the World Cup, either as a fan cheering from the stands or as part of the squad, helping his teammates. The defending champions have a tricky group, drawn with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in Group J.
