Messi will definitely play, he is not going to be all that old when he plays on the WC, the only one I wonder would be Ronaldo, I am sure that he will want to play and that looks like a possibility as well, he gained some more shape at Saudi league because he is constantly playing and training, not like when he was at United on his last season, for a summer he did nothing and then when he came back he didn't get proper minutes neither.
However, he will be around 40 years old if I am not mistaken and not like Portugal lacks any players, they could easily replace a 40 year old Ronaldo, don't get me wrong he was their best player ever in their entire history, but that doesn't mean that you are not going to get Ronaldo dropping with age, so maybe he may miss it.
Topic: FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread - page 125. (Read 57565 times)
October 10, 2023, 01:35:24 PM
October 10, 2023, 12:58:56 PM
To me it would seem a bit silly for Messi to play in the next world cup, he has the chance to retire after he won the world cup, and now he can play a bit more to make some extra cash, plus then he will be able to continue making money by doing ads and things like that.
Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
Maybe Messi won't get anything in the next World Cup, but what some users here have mentioned is that Messi is still Messi, a football superstar who has become the idol of footballers all over the world and that also includes Argentinian footballers. Messi won't get anything, but young Argentine national team players will get something very valuable in their lives, namely playing football with Lionel Messi. It is possible that in the 2026 World Cup there will be several new faces in the Argentina national team and we can confirm that their average age is 20-29 years which means they are football players born in 1997-2006 and it is certain that they will be very motivated for every match.
Most of the young Argentina players would be delighted to have ever played with such a big star at the same time in a tournament. His contribution to the team as an experienced world cup player will as well be off great benefit and importance to the team, and I'm very sure the fan base for his country will be bigger than usual as many more people would want to witness him play.
It going to be more beneficial to the tournament, his team and his country at large than it will be to him, but then on the long run it will be narrowed down to him as an achievement in his football career, he will be forever regarded as an idol in football both nationally and globally. So I don't think there's anything silly about him participating in the next world cup even if the achievement wouldn't be for him but for national interest I think it's worth it.
October 10, 2023, 04:39:26 AM
To me it would seem a bit silly for Messi to play in the next world cup, he has the chance to retire after he won the world cup, and now he can play a bit more to make some extra cash, plus then he will be able to continue making money by doing ads and things like that.
Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
Maybe Messi won't get anything in the next World Cup, but what some users here have mentioned is that Messi is still Messi, a football superstar who has become the idol of footballers all over the world and that also includes Argentinian footballers. Messi won't get anything, but young Argentine national team players will get something very valuable in their lives, namely playing football with Lionel Messi. It is possible that in the 2026 World Cup there will be several new faces in the Argentina national team and we can confirm that their average age is 20-29 years which means they are football players born in 1997-2006 and it is certain that they will be very motivated for every match.
October 10, 2023, 12:46:26 AM
Talking about this, I remembered the previous year before the Qatar World Cup. Yes many of us speculated that the possibility of the Qatar World Cup would be the last World Cup for Messi and not just Messi but other players as well, like Ronaldo for example. But now we are starting to speculate about the possibility of Messi plying in the World Cup or not. Yes it is interesting considering his age, but indeed his influence on his country is huge. Even though he is only in the lineup and not the main player, he can give his experience to other players and also provide motivation. I also haven't heard any rumors of him retiring anytime soon.
He has seen what happened to Ronaldo during Qatar 2022. It doesn't matter whether you are a legend. When you get old, then you are out of favor with the coach. Messi will be 39 years old by the time of North America 2026 and there is a good chance that he will retire from active football before that. He has achieved whatever he wanted to achieve in international and club football. So rather than risking his reputation by playing in 2026, he may just stay out of that tournament. At the most, he may enroll for some sort of coaching responsibility for the national team.
October 09, 2023, 01:59:09 PM
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This is a big question. The fans from the United States will love to see him in action on their grounds but we will wait and see. Although he has said a few times in the interviews that he may not be able to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Messi will probably still be selected for FIFA 2026 but may not be included in the main squad. I think Messi has a very big influence on the Argentine national team. Imagining young players playing with Messi in the national team will be a huge motivation for their mentality. So I think FIFA 2026 will probably be Messi's last World Cup participation before retirement.
October 09, 2023, 01:44:51 PM
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This is a big question. The fans from the United States will love to see him in action on their grounds but we will wait and see. Although he has said a few times in the interviews that he may not be able to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Messi will probably still be selected for FIFA 2026 but may not be included in the main squad. I think Messi has a very big influence on the Argentine national team. Imagining young players playing with Messi in the national team will be a huge motivation for their mentality. So I think FIFA 2026 will probably be Messi's last World Cup participation before retirement.
October 09, 2023, 12:32:39 PM
~snip~
It's really hard to say which FIFA world cup will be his last world cup because I remember in 2018 Messi said that FIFA 2018 world cup was his last chance to win but out of curiosity, he participated in FIFA 2022 and he won it. He even said again that FIFA 2022 was his last chance but after the win, he even plans to participate in FIFA 2026.
Probably, he is not in phenomenal shape right now because age leaves its mark on the body but Messi's dribbling skills are constantly developing, every year he dribbles better and shows magic tricks, he still hasn't shown his limits. Such a phenomenal player. To be honest, I will not even be surprised if he plays in FIFA 2030. Simply there is no reason for him to retire, he will be way better player at the age of 43 than many other 20 years old players.
It's really hard to say which FIFA world cup will be his last world cup because I remember in 2018 Messi said that FIFA 2018 world cup was his last chance to win but out of curiosity, he participated in FIFA 2022 and he won it. He even said again that FIFA 2022 was his last chance but after the win, he even plans to participate in FIFA 2026.
Probably, he is not in phenomenal shape right now because age leaves its mark on the body but Messi's dribbling skills are constantly developing, every year he dribbles better and shows magic tricks, he still hasn't shown his limits. Such a phenomenal player. To be honest, I will not even be surprised if he plays in FIFA 2030. Simply there is no reason for him to retire, he will be way better player at the age of 43 than many other 20 years old players.
To me it would seem a bit silly for Messi to play in the next world cup, he has the chance to retire after he won the world cup, and now he can play a bit more to make some extra cash, plus then he will be able to continue making money by doing ads and things like that.
Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
I don't know how even can you even say this. winning the World Cup is an honor for any palyer who wins this title in their team because other famous players like Cristiano Ronaldo had perfect performances in their national teams but could never win this title. But even If Messi plays in the next World Cup, I don't think if he can win this tournament again with Argentina because of his age and the lower performance he is going to have.
October 09, 2023, 12:23:08 PM
~snip~
It's really hard to say which FIFA world cup will be his last world cup because I remember in 2018 Messi said that FIFA 2018 world cup was his last chance to win but out of curiosity, he participated in FIFA 2022 and he won it. He even said again that FIFA 2022 was his last chance but after the win, he even plans to participate in FIFA 2026.
Probably, he is not in phenomenal shape right now because age leaves its mark on the body but Messi's dribbling skills are constantly developing, every year he dribbles better and shows magic tricks, he still hasn't shown his limits. Such a phenomenal player. To be honest, I will not even be surprised if he plays in FIFA 2030. Simply there is no reason for him to retire, he will be way better player at the age of 43 than many other 20 years old players.
It's really hard to say which FIFA world cup will be his last world cup because I remember in 2018 Messi said that FIFA 2018 world cup was his last chance to win but out of curiosity, he participated in FIFA 2022 and he won it. He even said again that FIFA 2022 was his last chance but after the win, he even plans to participate in FIFA 2026.
Probably, he is not in phenomenal shape right now because age leaves its mark on the body but Messi's dribbling skills are constantly developing, every year he dribbles better and shows magic tricks, he still hasn't shown his limits. Such a phenomenal player. To be honest, I will not even be surprised if he plays in FIFA 2030. Simply there is no reason for him to retire, he will be way better player at the age of 43 than many other 20 years old players.
To me it would seem a bit silly for Messi to play in the next world cup, he has the chance to retire after he won the world cup, and now he can play a bit more to make some extra cash, plus then he will be able to continue making money by doing ads and things like that.
Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
I don't know how even can you even say this. winning the World Cup is an honor for any palyer who wins this title in their team because other famous players like Cristiano Ronaldo had perfect performances in their national teams but could never win this title. But even If Messi plays in the next World Cup, I don't think if he can win this tournament again with Argentina because of his age and the lower performance he is going to have.
October 09, 2023, 11:22:27 AM
To me it would seem a bit silly for Messi to play in the next world cup, he has the chance to retire after he won the world cup, and now he can play a bit more to make some extra cash, plus then he will be able to continue making money by doing ads and things like that.
Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
It's quite strange in my opinion if someone says that if he can win the world cup again it won't bring anything for him, because of course it will give something extraordinary for his career, because winning one world cup trophy versus two world cup trophies is a very different thing in terms of anything including financial and records that will probably last a long time before another player can match or even break them.Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
However, whether Lionel Messi plays or not is a mystery and if Lionel Scaloni still calls him, it means he still has strong value for the Argentine squad in the future and of course with careful consideration considering that Argentina is a country that has quite good player resources.
I agree with you and it would be like Federer in tennis to say he stops playing tennis once he won all the Grand Slam tournaments one time. Won Wimbledon? Quit career! That is nonsense and in my opinion a player of any sport should listen to their bodies and if they are still healthy and they get positive feedback from the managers and the fans and they feel they can contribute to the success of the team, what is the reason that they should stop playing what people love them for? Really this is a stupid argument to make.
The real problem is that some players can't accept that their peak is long over and that they are mostly injured and when they are healthy they also play bad. That's when they missed the train to stop as a professional. But apart from that why should a player stop if he feels great?
October 09, 2023, 06:17:03 AM
To me it would seem a bit silly for Messi to play in the next world cup, he has the chance to retire after he won the world cup, and now he can play a bit more to make some extra cash, plus then he will be able to continue making money by doing ads and things like that.
Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
It's quite strange in my opinion if someone says that if he can win the world cup again it won't bring anything for him, because of course it will give something extraordinary for his career, because winning one world cup trophy versus two world cup trophies is a very different thing in terms of anything including financial and records that will probably last a long time before another player can match or even break them.Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
However, whether Lionel Messi plays or not is a mystery and if Lionel Scaloni still calls him, it means he still has strong value for the Argentine squad in the future and of course with careful consideration considering that Argentina is a country that has quite good player resources.
October 09, 2023, 05:45:38 AM
To me it would seem a bit silly for Messi to play in the next world cup, he has the chance to retire after he won the world cup
Since he is already playing in qualification matches, it is safe to assume that he plans to play in WC as well. Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
Lol you serious, it woulnd't bring him anything to win world cup again and make Argentina the first country to defend world title since Brazil did it in 1958? I am not saying that he will do it or that he even has good chance of doing it, but its ridicolous to say that winning another world title woulnd't bring anything to him. 
October 09, 2023, 04:50:58 AM
~snip~
It's really hard to say which FIFA world cup will be his last world cup because I remember in 2018 Messi said that FIFA 2018 world cup was his last chance to win but out of curiosity, he participated in FIFA 2022 and he won it. He even said again that FIFA 2022 was his last chance but after the win, he even plans to participate in FIFA 2026.
Probably, he is not in phenomenal shape right now because age leaves its mark on the body but Messi's dribbling skills are constantly developing, every year he dribbles better and shows magic tricks, he still hasn't shown his limits. Such a phenomenal player. To be honest, I will not even be surprised if he plays in FIFA 2030. Simply there is no reason for him to retire, he will be way better player at the age of 43 than many other 20 years old players.
It's really hard to say which FIFA world cup will be his last world cup because I remember in 2018 Messi said that FIFA 2018 world cup was his last chance to win but out of curiosity, he participated in FIFA 2022 and he won it. He even said again that FIFA 2022 was his last chance but after the win, he even plans to participate in FIFA 2026.
Probably, he is not in phenomenal shape right now because age leaves its mark on the body but Messi's dribbling skills are constantly developing, every year he dribbles better and shows magic tricks, he still hasn't shown his limits. Such a phenomenal player. To be honest, I will not even be surprised if he plays in FIFA 2030. Simply there is no reason for him to retire, he will be way better player at the age of 43 than many other 20 years old players.
To me it would seem a bit silly for Messi to play in the next world cup, he has the chance to retire after he won the world cup, and now he can play a bit more to make some extra cash, plus then he will be able to continue making money by doing ads and things like that.
Playing the next world cup would not bring anything else to him, even if he wins it
October 09, 2023, 03:11:55 AM
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This is a big question. The fans from the United States will love to see him in action on their grounds but we will wait and see. Although he has said a few times in the interviews that he may not be able to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Messi will probably still be selected for FIFA 2026 but may not be included in the main squad. I think Messi has a very big influence on the Argentine national team. Imagining young players playing with Messi in the national team will be a huge motivation for their mentality. So I think FIFA 2026 will probably be Messi's last World Cup participation before retirement.
Probably, he is not in phenomenal shape right now because age leaves its mark on the body but Messi's dribbling skills are constantly developing, every year he dribbles better and shows magic tricks, he still hasn't shown his limits. Such a phenomenal player. To be honest, I will not even be surprised if he plays in FIFA 2030. Simply there is no reason for him to retire, he will be way better player at the age of 43 than many other 20 years old players.
October 08, 2023, 11:56:22 PM
If Messi is called the best footballer in the world, what would be wrong? Not at all because Messi is a legend and he is undoubtedly one of the best footballers in the world. Lionel Messi has been the biggest contributor behind the 2022 World Cup win, in the 2022 World Cup tournament Messi has prioritized and trusted young players and the players have repaid that trust. Messi has not yet retired from the national team but was rumored to retire after the World Cup tournament. Age may be the reason for him to make such a decision but considering his age he is still a very good performer. It is a blessing for Lionel Messi that he has not suffered many injuries in his long career. An injury destroys a footballer's career which was not the case with Messi, that is why Messi has been able to prove his skills 100%. Lionel Messi can play for the national team for some more time and it will not be a surprise if he plays in the 2026 World Cup.
Lionel Messi is no doubt the world legends player in the football world. We cannot just compare the achievements of this player. He has won a record of seven Ballon d’Or awards, and he holds six European Golden Shoes awards. He has scored over 800+ goals. He won for this country's 2021 Copa America and 2022 FIFA World Cup. What else would you want from a player?
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This is a big question. The fans from the United States will love to see him in action on their grounds but we will wait and see. Although he has said a few times in the interviews that he may not be able to play in the upcoming World Cup.
It's the end of 2023, giving Lionel Messi two more years to make a decision. Hope he takes the best decision by thinking about the fans and thinking about his highest achievement. But with the way he is still performing, I hope he will not miss the 2026 World Cup at least because of his performance. I believe that Lionel Messi will be at his best in 2026.
October 08, 2023, 11:31:07 PM
You are right. It is very difficult for children in Brazil to develop their talents to become professional players because Brazil is a poor country. To play ball, they often do not have adequate facilities. For this reason, they play anything that can be used to develop their talents. This challenge makes them more creative so that their skills improve rapidly. So it is not surprising that Brazil produces many of the best quality players in the world.
Maybe poverty is the reason why they are performing so good? In the favelas, children start playing football from a very young age and the conditions are very tough. A lot of them get injured. On the other hand, European kids start playing in schools and academies, where rules are strictly followed. And this is exactly the reason why footballers in Brazil are having unique skills, which are rare to find in other parts of the world. And it is not just Brazil. What I mentioned can be found in other Latin American nations such as Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador as well.
If any country is poor, it does not have proper infrastructure and the playing conditions to produce quality players. In the modern world, talent itself won't make you a bigger player unless you have a proper setup where you can practice and polish your skills. So saying that brazil has been dominating the football world for so many years only because they were poor, is not the right definition for them.
This holds true vice versa also, that is if a country is rich in resources but the player does not possess the natural talent, then it is also hard to produce quality players.
October 08, 2023, 04:14:34 PM
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This is a big question. The fans from the United States will love to see him in action on their grounds but we will wait and see. Although he has said a few times in the interviews that he may not be able to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Messi will probably still be selected for FIFA 2026 but may not be included in the main squad. I think Messi has a very big influence on the Argentine national team. Imagining young players playing with Messi in the national team will be a huge motivation for their mentality. So I think FIFA 2026 will probably be Messi's last World Cup participation before retirement.
Who knows maybe everything is possible and if we don't see Messi playing the World Cup 2026 in the USA, maybe he is the manager by then of the Argentinian national team
I really wonder already what he will be doing after his active career. I have never thought of Messi as potentially becoming a manager. I don't know why, but I also thought that Maradona wasn't really a manager, like a true educator in all things football. Most of the managers have gone through extensive education programs or have collected some experiences in some clubs, but Maradona was more like an idol being pushed into the manager position. I don't think Messi would do the same.
October 08, 2023, 11:54:32 AM
Messi will probably still be selected for FIFA 2026 but may not be included in the main squad. I think Messi has a very big influence on the Argentine national team. Imagining young players playing with Messi in the national team will be a huge motivation for their mentality. So I think FIFA 2026 will probably be Messi's last World Cup participation before retirement.
If the World Cup is still a mystery, at least in the qualifiers we already know that Lionel Messi will continue to inspire Argentina to at least qualify for the world championship....
Fortunately, the muscle pain that left Messi out of five of Inter Miami's last six matches did not prevent him from being called up to defend Argentina in the next 2026 World Cup qualifying games against Paraguay and Peru. Trained Scaloni made the call-up last Thursday and included the name of his main star.
As for whether or not he will play in the next World Cup, I think it's still too early and there are several factors that could help or hinder this decision.
But I'm sure of one thing... whether as a starting player, reserve player or technical team, Lionel Messi will be present at the next World Cup.
October 08, 2023, 10:11:33 AM
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This is a big question. The fans from the United States will love to see him in action on their grounds but we will wait and see. Although he has said a few times in the interviews that he may not be able to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Messi will probably still be selected for FIFA 2026 but may not be included in the main squad. I think Messi has a very big influence on the Argentine national team. Imagining young players playing with Messi in the national team will be a huge motivation for their mentality. So I think FIFA 2026 will probably be Messi's last World Cup participation before retirement.
October 08, 2023, 09:06:53 AM
If Messi is called the best footballer in the world, what would be wrong? Not at all because Messi is a legend and he is undoubtedly one of the best footballers in the world. Lionel Messi has been the biggest contributor behind the 2022 World Cup win, in the 2022 World Cup tournament Messi has prioritized and trusted young players and the players have repaid that trust. Messi has not yet retired from the national team but was rumored to retire after the World Cup tournament. Age may be the reason for him to make such a decision but considering his age he is still a very good performer. It is a blessing for Lionel Messi that he has not suffered many injuries in his long career. An injury destroys a footballer's career which was not the case with Messi, that is why Messi has been able to prove his skills 100%. Lionel Messi can play for the national team for some more time and it will not be a surprise if he plays in the 2026 World Cup.
Lionel Messi is no doubt the world legends player in the football world. We cannot just compare the achievements of this player. He has won a record of seven Ballon d’Or awards, and he holds six European Golden Shoes awards. He has scored over 800+ goals. He won for this country's 2021 Copa America and 2022 FIFA World Cup. What else would you want from a player?
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This is a big question. The fans from the United States will love to see him in action on their grounds but we will wait and see. Although he has said a few times in the interviews that he may not be able to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Although he may no longer be in his prime by that time but it's still possible he play but I doubt if he will be allowed to play complete 90minites of football, maybe he will be featured in either of the halves and rested as he can not play like his very youthful day and of course his speed would have dropped drastically as well so he will play more of entertaining football.
He has not categorically stated if he is going to play in the world cup for Argentina but there are speculations they it's very possible he would so if we eventually see him play it shouldn't come as a surprise and his will be missed by all when he finally retirees from football, as he has set a historical record as a legend in football all over the world.
October 08, 2023, 03:43:03 AM
If Messi is called the best footballer in the world, what would be wrong? Not at all because Messi is a legend and he is undoubtedly one of the best footballers in the world. Lionel Messi has been the biggest contributor behind the 2022 World Cup win, in the 2022 World Cup tournament Messi has prioritized and trusted young players and the players have repaid that trust. Messi has not yet retired from the national team but was rumored to retire after the World Cup tournament. Age may be the reason for him to make such a decision but considering his age he is still a very good performer. It is a blessing for Lionel Messi that he has not suffered many injuries in his long career. An injury destroys a footballer's career which was not the case with Messi, that is why Messi has been able to prove his skills 100%. Lionel Messi can play for the national team for some more time and it will not be a surprise if he plays in the 2026 World Cup.
Lionel Messi is no doubt the world legends player in the football world. We cannot just compare the achievements of this player. He has won a record of seven Ballon d’Or awards, and he holds six European Golden Shoes awards. He has scored over 800+ goals. He won for this country's 2021 Copa America and 2022 FIFA World Cup. What else would you want from a player?
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This is a big question. The fans from the United States will love to see him in action on their grounds but we will wait and see. Although he has said a few times in the interviews that he may not be able to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Will Messi's legs get him another World Cup? However, physical characteristics like strength and agility do matter. Messi is still a human being despite all of his achievements and accolades.
Its a good idea to consider if he should work too hard at his job and run the danger of being renowned. Are they astute enough to know when to hang up their cleats so that we can all get another glimpse of his wizardry on the field?
Jump to: