At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Lionel Messi (36, Paris Saint-Germain), who took the lead in helping Argentina to reach the top in 36 years, left open the possibility of participating in the next World Cup.
Right after the Qatar tournament, he changed his original stance, initially declaring that last year’s World Cup was his last, but he is still maintaining his thoughts at the time. The coach of the Argentine national team also showed a welcome intention.
In an interview with Argentinian media Diario Ole on the 3rd (Korean time), Messi said, “It will be difficult to participate in the 2026 World Cup because of my age.” .
He added, “There are four years left until the World Cup in North and Central America. It remains to be seen what will happen to my career.”
At the World Cup in Qatar, which ended last December, Messi scored 7 goals and 3 assists to help Argentina win their first championship in 36 years.
He showed off his unrivaled presence in every match, scoring multiple goals in the final against the “defending champion” France. The honor of the ‘Golden Ball’, the best player of the tournament, was also his share.
He broke all the World Cup records. With a total of 26 appearances and 2314 minutes, he surpassed Lothar Matheus (Germany)’s previous record of most appearances (25) and Paulo Maldini’s (Italy) most appearances (2217 minutes).
He was named after Pele for the most cumulative attack points in the World Cup (21 goals, 13 goals and 8 assists).
So far, he has recorded 98 goals and 55 assists in 172 A matches. The pace of stepping on the pitch is steady even in the mid-30s, including 16 games in 2021 and 14 games last year.
There are 28 games left until the 200th appearance, which is an unanswered achievement. He is expected to achieve this when he plays as a main player in the national team for the next two years.
Although he is in his twilight years as a footballer, he still boasts fantastic skills. He is dazzling not only in national competitions, but also in his league.
This season, he recorded 14 goals and 14 assists in 23 official games at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The score is second in the team following Kylian Mbappe, who scored 25 goals, and the assist is first, surpassing Neymar (12).
During the days of former manager Mauricio Pochettino, he only showed good content in the UEFA Champions League. But this season is different. He also has good grades in Ligue 1.
With 9 goals and 10 assists in 17 regular league games, it is the core of PSG and is contributing greatly to the team’s run for first place.
Messi, born in June 1987, will be 39 years old when the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America opens. Realistically, it is difficult to guarantee his participation in the next World Cup. 카지노
However, there are not a few players who participate in the World Cup or show off their fierce momentum even after entering the 40s, such as Dani Alves (39, Brazil), Pepe (39, Portugal), and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (41, Sweden).
Earlier, Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni welcomed Messi’s change of position in an interview with Spanish radio Calvia FM. He appeared on a radio program last month and gave a positive response, saying, “I think Messi can play in the next World Cup. The door is always open.”
