37-year-old superstar Lionel Messi says he has yet to decide whether to play in the 2026 World Cup or not, due to fitness and age issues.
Messi is set to play Atlanta United with Inter Miami on the morning of November 3, Hanoi time, for a spot in the MLS Cup Eastern Conference playoffs semi-finals. He has been selected as one of the five finalists for the player of the season award. Despite only playing 20 of the past 35 matches in MLS 2024, the Miami captain has scored 20 goals, assisted 11 times, and is the player with the most goals in the tournament.
“I’ve changed the way I play to adapt to the situation and my age,” he told 433. “In every aspect, I had to change a little bit, reinvent myself to suit MLS. I felt very comfortable playing here, right from the first minutes.”
In his first season in MLS in 2023, Messi played only six games, scored one goal and assisted two goals. Meanwhile, Inter Miami only ranked 14th in the Eastern Conference, not qualifying for the playoffs.
This season, Inter Miami finished first in the Eastern Conference after 34 games, won the Supporters’ Shield and set a record of 74 points. This is the second championship in the club’s history after the Leagues Cup, but the team still wants to win the MLS Cup – the most prestigious trophy in American soccer.
“To build a strong team, we need to win titles,” Messi added. “Right after I joined, Miami won the Leagues Cup, the team’s first title. We are a candidate to win the MLS Cup, but we still respect other opponents.”
Messi also said he has received many questions, especially from Argentina, about the possibility of playing in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. “I just hope to finish 2024 well, and prepare better for the 2025 season,” he added. “From there, I will see how I perform. I have not decided whether I will play in the next World Cup or not. There is still a long time, and anything can happen. So I do not think much about that prospect.”
The Supporters’ Shield with Inter Miami was Messi’s 46th title, three more than second-placed Dani Alves. The most meaningful of these was the 2022 World Cup, which the Argentine superstar said was “every player’s dream.” He has also won the Champions League four times, La Liga 10 times and the Copa America twice. Messi has also won 56 individual awards, including eight Ballon d’Ors and two World Cup Golden Balls.
