Lionel Messi said he is unsure if he would be part of Agentina’s team at the 2026 World Cup but he wants Lionel Scaloni to stay on as head coach until then.
By 2026, Messi would be 39 and said his age by then would make it difficult for him to play another World Cup.
“I love playing soccer, I love what I do and while I am feeling well and feel I am fit and continue to enjoy it, I will do it. But it seems to be too much until the next World Cup. I have to see where my career goes, what I will do. It depends on many things,” he said.
In the near future, he suggested he wants to play in next year’s Copa America in the U.S. to help Argentina defend its title.
“I will stay a little longer, I have to enjoy this,” he said.
Scaloni is negotiating an extension of his contract with the Argentinian soccer federation and Messi thinks the coach should remain on the job.
“He is very important for the national team. “To continue with this process would be spectacular,” Messi said
Asked what it was like returning to his club París Saint Germain after Argentina beat France on penalties to win the World Cup, Messi said he didn’t have deep discussions about it with his teammate Kylian Mbappé, the French striker.
“One doesn’t want to speak and bring the topic of the final,” Messi said, recalling his own experience after losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in Brazil. “I was also on the other side, I lost a World Cup final and I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Truth is there is no problem with Kylian, quite on the contrary,” Messi said.
Messi is set to play for Argentina in friendlies to be scheduled in Buenos Aires in March to celebrate the team’s third World Cup title with their fans.
