Lionel Messi shares his plans for 2026 World Cup, says ‘would like to be there’ but participation depends on one big catch News24 –

Lionel Messi has opined about his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He clearly mentioned that he hasn’t ruled out any possibilities of his playing but he has still not made any definitive commitment. He revealed that his participation will be depending on how he feels physically and mentally.

“The truth is that yes, it’s something extraordinary to be able to be in a World Cup,” Messi told Llamas. “And I would like to be there. To feel well and to be an important part of helping my national team, if I am there. And 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 eight time Ballon d’Or winner guided Argentina to World Cup win in 2022 and he described this as a pinnacle of his career. During this tournament, Messi delivered exceptional performance and earned the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

“I’m really eager because it’s a World Cup,” Messi said. “We’re coming off winning the last World Cup, 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, so hopefully God will allow me to do it once again,” he added.

Messi is already 37 and featuring in the Major League Soccer (MLS) with Inter Miami. He continues to show his brilliance and remains as one of the star players in football. Speaking about his future, Messi reflected his desire to wear the Argentina jersey again but the final decision will only come after him assessing his form, fitness and motivation.