Argentina star Lionel Messi has claimed that he has no plans to play in the next World Cup.
The forward, who recently confirmed his decision to join MLS side Inter Miami, helped his nation clinch the prestigious title in Qatar last year.
However, despite expectations that he could help Argentina repeat the achievement in 2026, Messi has cooled expectations that he’ll feature in North America.
According to Efe News Agency, when asked about playing in the next edition, Messi said: ‘I think not. [Qatar] was my last World Cup.
‘I’ll see how things go, but as it is right now, no, I won’t go to the next World Cup.
The 35-year-old provided seven goal and three assists as Argentina clinched the third World Cup title in their history.
Many have suggested that their success in December last year could effect the Ballon d’Or voting later this year – with Messi tipped to claim the title.
However, the Argentine – who has won it seven times previously – has played down the importance of individual awards. According to Titan Sports, he said: ‘Does the Ballon d’Or matter to me? No, it’s no longer important to me.
‘I’ve always said, the individual prizes are not what matters to me, but the collective ones are the most important. The most important prize at the moment is the World Cup, the greatest prize for me.’
The 2026 World Cup will be held across America, Canada and Mexico – so wouldn’t be far from home for the Argentina legend.
The 35-year-old is preparing to complete a blockbuster move to the MLS after confirming the news he will join Inter Miami.
In a statement with Mundo Deportivo he said ‘I’m not going back to Barça, I’m going to Inter Miami.’
‘I made the decision that I’m going to go to Miami. I still haven’t closed it one hundred percent. I’m missing some things but we decided to continue on the path.
‘If the Barcelona thing didn’t come out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more in my family,’ said Messi.
Messi, who will be 36 at the end of this month, had all-but ruled out a move to the US after his family set their heart on a return to Barcelona, but that became impossible because of the club’s financial situation – and the player has decided to take the Miami offer over the astronomical sums proposed by Al-Hilal.
The family already have a house in Miami and a move there has won out the Saudi deal that would have been worth over $214m a season for two campaigns and the option of a third year.
Content by: James Cohen
