Will Lionel Messi Play at the 2026 World Cup? | OneFootball

The last time Argentina went to a World Cup without Lionel Messi, Mauricio Pochettino was in defense and Diego Simeone patrolled the midfield. David Seaman kept a clean sheet for England as the South American giants crashed out of the group stage.

Suffice to say, it was an awfully long time ago.

Argentina may be plunged back into this bleak realm of Messi-less-ness by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around. The nation’s talisman will turn 39 during the tournament and has repeatedly expressed doubts over his involvement.

However, Messi remains a force to be reckoned with even as the years tick by. After spending the buildup to the competition at Inter Miami, there is renewed hope that the global icon may hang around long enough to appear in the North American-hosted World Cup. Is it misplaced?

What Has Lionel Messi Said About the 2026 World Cup?

Lionel Messi did not finish Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Colombia recently. / IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Messi doesn’t speak often and what little he says about his future with the national team cannot always be taken at face value. The Argentine skipper retired from international football in 2016 and 2018, only to be lured back into the famous blue and white stripes.

Ahead of the 2022 global jamboree in Qatar, Messi described the tournament as “my last World Cup, surely, yes.”

That stance has softened over the subsequent years, with Messi remaining defiantly vague while leaving the door somewhat ajar. “The truth is that when you start thinking about it, it’s a long time away but at the same time it’s going to pass quickly, no?,” the Argentine mused back in April 2025.

“For me this year is going to be important, to be able to play with continuity, to feel good. Last year I joined up for preseason and started a couple of games, then had to miss a few games through injuries or not feeling 100%. This time preseason has been good, I’ve started well and I feel good.”

The overriding message from Messi is one of patience. “I think about it and wait and see, but I don’t want to set that goal either,” he warned. “I’ll take it day by day and see how I feel physically above all else, and be honest with myself too.”

What Has Lionel Scaloni Said About Messi in the 2026 World Cup?

Lionel Scaloni (left) and Lionel Messi (right) chat during Argentina training ahead of their game against Chile. / IMAGO/PHOTOxPHOTO

Scaloni has already persuaded Messi to come out of international retirement once. Inheriting the team—initially on a temporary basis—after the dire 2018 World Cup, Scaloni built the foundations for Messi return. In six friendlies without the No. 10, Argentina recorded five clean sheets and four wins, establishing a younger core which tempted Messi back in 2019.

In the wake of Messi’s retirement in 2016, Scaloni wasn't part of the national team staff so took to social media to plead: “Don’t go Lio.”

After the 2022 final, an emotional Scaloni insisted: “Messi should have a place in the next World Cup. If he wants to continue playing, the No. 10 [shirt] will always be his.”

As the questions surround Messi’s future continue to flood his way, Scaloni’s patience on the topic has worn thin. “We will see what happens, there’s plenty of time,” the Argentina coach told assembled media in March 2025. “We must go one game a time otherwise [we] will be speaking about the same thing the rest of the year and we need to leave him alone, we will see. He will decide it whenever he wants, let’s not drive him crazy with this.”

As long as Scaloni is at the helm, Messi will have a spot in Argentina’s World Cup squad.

Oldest Outfield Players in Men’s World Cup History

*Lionel Messi age on day of the 2026 World Cup final

Messi already holds the record for the most appearances at the men’s World Cup, playing his 26th game in the competition in the victorious final against France. However, if Messi made it back to the showpiece in 2026, he would not be entering unchartered territory.

The final in the U.S. is scheduled for a month after Lionel Messi’s 39th birthday. Seven outfield players have appeared in the competition at a more senior age—Roger Milla even managed to score for Cameroon at 42 years young in 1994 (although many believe Milla could have been even older).

As Milla has proven, this wonderful game is not dictated by your date of birth. As Messi’s compatriot Diego Simeone once surmised: “Soccer has no age. Age is determined by the mind and the legs.”