Messi is unlikely to be present at the 2026 World Cup

In a recent interview with NBC News, Lionel Messi once again emphasized that winning the World Cup is a lifelong dream.

"I believe that it is not only my personal dream, but also the dream of every player. Ask anyone about their biggest dream and they will all say it is to become a world champion," said the Argentine superstar. "Before 2022, the World Cup was the only title I was missing. I was lucky to have everything, both personally and collectively, when I played for Barca. So I was extremely happy when I won with Argentina. The World Cup also gave me an extraordinary source of energy."

For that reason, Messi affirmed that he is "very excited about the upcoming World Cup". He said, "defending the championship is a great experience", especially when he "always wants to contribute to the Argentina national team and compete in the biggest tournaments".

In the South American qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, Argentina was the first team to secure a ticket. When the campaign ended, Albiceleste finished first in the group with 38 points, 9 points ahead of the rest and 10 points ahead of Brazil. Messi was also the top scorer of the qualifying round with 8 goals, at least double that of his teammates.

"Being at the World Cup is special, I always wanted to be there," the 38-year-old said. "However, I want to play in the World Cup in the best physical condition and make important contributions to Argentina. Therefore, I will evaluate each day when I start the new pre-season with Inter Miami, then see if I am really at 100% form, can bring benefits to the team or not, before making a final decision."

Messi's Inter Miami are currently in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs. The Argentine superstar aims to bring home the first MLS Cup in the club's history, while also paying tribute to Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, his close teammates who will leave at the end of the season. Once the Playoffs are over, Messi will have a short break, then enter the pre-season. As he said, whether he will participate in the 2026 World Cup or not will be decided at this time.