The Argentine star Lionel Messi has confirmed that he will not be taking part in the World Cup tournament scheduled to be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2026.
Lionel Messi
Leo led his country’s team to win the 2022 World Cup Championship, which took place in Qatar at the end of last year, beating France in the final match.
In an interview, as reported by Sport newspaper, the Argentine star confirmed that he will retire from football before the 2026 World Cup and will not be part of the list of Tango dancers.
Messi: I won’t participate in the 2026 World Cup
In response to a question about the possibility of appearing in 2026, Messi said, “I don’t think so.”
He also stated that this was his last World Cup tournament and he will observe how things progress, but in principle, he will not participate in the next World Cup.
Messi clarified that he would like to be present to watch the championship, but he will not participate. This may be easy as the international player has become a member of the American team, Inter Miami, and it is possible that the player will settle there to a large extent after retiring from playing football.
According to the Miami Herald newspaper, Messi will sign a two and a half year contract with Inter Miami, owned by Englishman David Beckham, with an option to extend until 2026.
After Leo’s confirmation that he won’t be participating in the 2026 World Cup, it’s expected that he’ll captain the Argentine team in the next edition of the Copa America, which is also set to be held on American soil in the summer of 2024.
