Inter Miami club forward Lionel Messi gave a big interview and announced that he wants to defend the World Cup champion title in 2026. However, the Argentine footballer expressed a cautious opinion about his chances of participating in the tournament.
In an interview with NBC, Messi said that after starting pre-season training with Inter Miami, he will assess his condition and determine whether he is fully prepared for the tournament. "To be honest, it would be amazing to take part in the World Cup.
I want to be in good shape and play an important role for the Argentina national team. When I start next year's pre-season training, I will assess the situation and see if I can be one hundred percent ready," said Messi.
Messi emphasized that he will only make his decision once he is completely confident in himself. If he feels he cannot help the team, Argentina will go to the World Cup without its star player.
However, he called the opportunity to defend the world champion title amazing. "Of course, I am excited because this is the World Cup.
We won it last time. Defending the title would be truly wonderful.
Playing for the national team, especially in major tournaments, is every footballer's dream," Messi concluded. For reference, in December 2022, Messi became world champion with the Argentina national team for the first time, achieving this success by defeating France in the final.
In that tournament, Lionel Scaloni's players unexpectedly lost to Saudi Arabia, but then went on to win all the remaining games. After that, Messi left Europe and joined Inter Miami in the USA.
The footballer admitted he chose a more comfortable environment for himself and was tired of too much attention. According to experts, the probability of Messi participating in the 2026 World Cup is high.
Although he has not announced his decision in this regard, becoming a world champion for the second time would further cement Messi’s status as one of the greatest players in football history. If he maintains good health, we may see him in three more matches at the planet’s most anticipated tournament.
The chance for the Argentina national team to defend its title is very high. The team has hardly weakened since the 2022 version, with only Messi getting a bit older.
Argentina continues to dominate South America, winning the last two continental cups. The team has a perfect blend of youth and experience, and in addition, the excellent relationship with the head coach has a positive impact on the team's atmosphere and results on the pitch.
The main rivals of the Argentina national team could be France and Spain, and perhaps England and Brazil will join them. Although Spain recently won Europe, it is impossible to predict the outcome of the draw in advance.
In March, during the "Finalissima" match between Argentina and Spain, the real ambitions of the Argentina team will become clear.
