As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, speculation grows around Lionel Messi’s potential presence. Given his 37 years and recent success with the national team, doubts remain. Luis Suarez addressed the topic with a revealing confession about his longtime teammate.
Lionel Messi has won everything with the Argentine national team. After many years chasing titles, he lifted the World Cup, La Finalissima, and two Copa America trophies. This marked a huge milestone in his career. However, many question whether he will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He is already 37 years old and managing his physical condition has become a priority. In the middle of all the speculation, Luis Suarez made a curious confession on the possibility of seeing Messi in the next World Cup.
“Leo Messi has that desire to play at the World Cup 2026 with Argentina…We’re not discussing retirement as a plan to activate anytime soon,” confessed Luis Suarez as reported by Fabrizio Romano. With that statement, Messi’s presence at the FIFA World Cup 2026 becomes more likely. He continues to show motivation and physical readiness.
Lionel Messi continues to receive strong support from those around him. Argentina’s national team coach, Lionel Scaloni, has stated several times that the Argentinean icon is the only player who can join the squad whenever he wants. In addition to that, Messi himself did not hesitate to speak about his presence in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He gave a short insight into his future with the national team.
“I don’t know, the truth is that they asked me a lot of times, especially in Argentina. I hope to finish this year very well, to have a good preseason, which I didn’t have last year with all the trips we had. From then on, I will see how I feel… I know we are very close, but at the same time it is a long time and a lot of things happen in soccer. I don’t think, just live day by day without thinking beyond“, Messi confessed to media 433.

Lionel Messi could break all-time record at FIFA World Cup 2026
If Lionel Messi chooses to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he could add more records to his legendary career. He would become the only player in history to appear in six editions of the tournament. However, he is not alone in that pursuit. Cristiano Ronaldo could also reach the same milestone if he suits up for Portugal in 2026.
Messi already holds several World Cup records, including the most appearances as a national team captain in the tournament’s history with 19 matches. He also leads all players in minutes played at the World Cup, logging 2,314 and surpassing the previous record held by Italy’s Paolo Maldini (2,217). Therefore, if Messi returns in 2026, he could extend his legacy even further and set new historic marks.
From: bolavip.com