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.
Yes, it could very well happen when we see his name on the coaching staff list for his country. Age does not lie, even though he is still able to play, his contrbution to the game will not be the same as when he was younger and that cannot be denied. And even at his age, it's amazing that he can still contribute to the club he's playing for.
The next World Cup is the stage for the young players of today, and I'm sure there will be many new players who will get a lot of attention and then become a target for the big clubs.
I think this will a better idea for him, if he is seen amongst the coaching staff for his country I think he will do more from there, with regards to contributions and I'm very sure they will be very willing to benefit from his wealth of knowledge and experience in the world cup and football generally, he will be more impactful from the sides than he would on the pitch.
If he happens to be on the pitch he will not be very optimal as age will definitely tell on him, he may not even be able to play full time, so it will not be much needed as he will be fatigue prone and if the team puts some level of dependency on him it will turn out the teams morale may drop when he fails to meet up with expectations owing to age telling on him.
Messi is most likely to have retired by then although all these are just speculations but the let's wait and watch till 2026 and see how it plays out if he will still be in active football service and get a call from his country or he might have retired and probably taken up some coaching responsibility with the national team of his country, till then let's keep our fingers crossed.
Well there are good omens, because Messi is preparing to play in the World Cup qualifiers, he is already in his team's concentration and that is so that he can help them get to the World Cup, so that is very good, in fact CR7 is also playing for Portugal so that he can be in the Euro, and in the World Cup, I have more hopes that CR7 will be there, but Messi I think they can convince him to stay in the team, in fact for me that Messi is going to go to the World Cup. USES,. because the way things are going in the team, the Argentina team does not function the same without Messi and I think that Messi himself has realized it, it does not matter that there are so many new players, legends and stars like him do not happen overnight. another, they don't even get someone Similar, similar or who makes a difference, I think things here are quite obvious when it comes to how to do so that they can establish a stronger team, furthermore I don't think Messi leaves his team helpless, Argeinta does it needs and cannot leave them there with the danger that they will not qualify, I also believe that everyone, including the coaches, wants Messi to play in the next World Cup.
The majority of people who are fans of Messi, of CR7 are very large, they want to see him again, as I have said, it would be good if they could play a game between Argentina and Portugal, where the technicians have no shame in putting these two legends from beginning to end, that they do not start inventing to put them on the Bench as they are always bored by the technicians who have been through both squads, here things must happen as they are, with the greatest rivalry in football and show who is the best, that is where they will realize who is the best, until now Argentina is the defending champion, and Messi knows it, for that reason I don't think he is going to leave his teammates alone, because they obviously know that they need him , and With the Experience he has it is obvious.