Argentina national team legend Lionel Messi has received a unique privilege ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America. Preparing for his sixth World Cup, the Inter Miami star is staying in separate conditions compared to other squad members. This allows him to focus entirely on defending the title won in Qatar, reports Goal.com reports .
It is reported that Lionel Messi is the only player to have his own private room during the tournament. While the rest of the team shares rooms, the 38-year-old forward is staying alone in room 202 at the Kansas City base. Interestingly, his room is adjacent to the one occupied by his close friends Rodrigo De Paul and Nicolas Otamendi.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner previously shared a room with Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero, but since Aguero's retirement, Lionel Messi prefers to stay alone. The captain followed this same tradition during the successful 2022 campaign. Now, Argentina has decided to continue this arrangement for the tournament hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Currently, the coaching staff led by Lionel Scaloni is paying special attention to the player's physical condition. The forward, who faced some muscle fatigue issues during matches for Inter Miami, trained separately from the main group on Monday. Players like Emiliano Martinez and Leandro Paredes are also preparing according to individual programs.
The Argentina national team will compete in Group J of the World Cup alongside Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. Although the 26-man squad announced by Lionel Scaloni does not include names like Paulo Dybala and Alejandro Garnacho, leaders such as Julian Alvarez and Cristian Romero have returned to the lineup. The team will play friendly matches against Honduras and Iceland before the tournament.
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