Lionel Messi is pessimistic about appearing at the 2026 World Cup

– Argentina captain Lionel Messi announced on Tuesday (13/6/2023) that he has no plans to participate in the upcoming edition of the World Cup, which is being held in Mexico, United States and Canada in 2026.

Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will expire at the end of the month, when the former Barcelona star will join Inter Miami.

“I don’t think so. This is my last World Cup,” Messi told Chinese sports media, Titan Sportswhen asked if he would take part in the 2026 edition.

“I will see how it goes, but as of now, I have no intention of going to the next World Cup.”

Messi recently played his fifth World Cup in Qatar. There he won a trophy with Argentina. He had previously participated in tournaments held in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, but failed to lift a trophy.

The closest he has come was in 2014 when Argentina reached the final but lost to Germany.

Kudos to Guardiola
During the interview, Messi brought up various topics of interest to Chinese fans.

He thanked the country’s supporters. Messi stated that they always treated him and his team well.

Messi is also said to have watched the Champions League final which was won by Manchester City, although it was a different time in China.

He praised his former coach Pep Guardiola, with whom he was in frequent contact, stating that the Manchester City architect had proven to be “the best coach in the world”.

While Messi stated that he does not aspire to become a coach in the future, he left room for a possible change in his mind, saying he was unsure.

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