Argentine media: Messi has not decided whether to participate in the 2026 World Cup, so don t rush to make a decision

Messi is looking forward to returning to the stadium with the mentality of "living every day well" - on September 4, Argentina will face Venezuela at home to hold a new round of the South American World Cup qualifiers. Although the outside world has hotly discussed whether this will become his "last battle" in his motherland, Messi himself has not made it clear whether he will participate in the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup. For him, all the speculation about the future is nothing more than a meaningless "future study" and is not worth too much trouble.

For all Argentines, the most concerned issue is consistent: How long can we still appreciate Messi under the blue and white robe?

With the end of this World Cup double-game period, the official schedule of the Argentine national team will become extremely limited until the 2026 World Cup. The next matches mainly include friendly matches, the "Finalissima" with Spain, and a possible tribute or farewell match in China before the World Cup. As for what after the World Cup? The next official event in the true sense - whether it is the World Cup qualifiers or the Copa America - will not start until the second half of 2027.

However, for Messi, who is already 38, it is almost impossible to plan the future several years in advance. He always adheres to the attitude of "taking one step at a time". According to the Argentine media "Ole" learned from people around him that Messi has always been cautious about such major decisions. "Everything will be natural and there is no rush." ​​People around him revealed, "For him, the most important thing is his current physical condition and inner feelings."

Will he participate in the 2026 World Cup?

Almost everyone believed that he would. Head coach Scarloni is full of confidence, and FIFA President Infantino also publicly stated that Messi will appear in the US, Canada and Mexico World Cup - this is not only about competition, but also about the symbolic significance of the event. But no matter how the outside world expects it, Messi himself still insists on moving forward at his own pace and does not want to be influenced by external pressure.

"This is a very personal decision and he will make choices when he feels right," his team stressed. At present, nothing forces him to announce his retirement. At present, his focus is still on the club - Miami International. This Wednesday, the team will usher in a key battle against Orlando City in the League Cup semi-finals, and Messi has recovered from two previous minor injuries and is in good shape.

Even if he finally set foot on the 2026 World Cup, it may not necessarily mean that it is the end of his national team career. Whether or not he will continue to serve the country at that time will depend entirely on his physical condition and inner will. Messi's future will still be written step by step by step by step by himself.

The only thing that can be confirmed at the moment is that the captain still has the initial enthusiasm and is eager to wear the blue and white jersey. He looks forward to putting on the No. 10 jersey at the Monument Stadium again to play in the home qualifiers against Venezuela. His competitive form is still excellent, and the data is enough to prove everything: he played 17 games for Miami International this season, contributing 18 goals and 10 assists, and was awarded the MFA Player of the Month twice in the past three months, and has been named the best in the game many times.

Since the beginning of 2025, Messi has played twice for the national team (both in the June international competition window). If he successfully competes in this round against Venezuela, two friendly matches in the United States in October, and two matches in Angola and Kerala in India in November, he is expected to play for the "Scaloni Legion" six times this year. If all the games are completed, his national team will play 199 games, infinitely close to another milestone in his career - 200 national team appearances. He has played 193 times for the country. What about after the World Cup?

After the end of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina still had two international match days from September to November of that year, but only friendly matches were arranged. A truly competitive game will have to wait until the second half of 2027 - by then, Argentina will officially start its journey to the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. In the 2030 World Cup, Argentina will host the opening match as one of the joint hosts (the rest of the events will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco), which is of great significance.

At present, Messi is focusing on two things: one is to help Miami International reach the League Cup final and continue the club's hopes of the season; the other is to make every effort to prepare for the game against Venezuela on September 4. He is not in a hurry to talk about farewell or to define the meaning of the World Cup. His national team career has no end and no countdown.