In no time, Lionel Messi has become a superstar in America. He joined Inter Miami on a transfer from PSG and the rest is history! While he’s already won his first piece of silverware in the US, it is important to remember that he also lifted his first-ever FIFA World Cup with Argentina in December. At 36, he still plays a vital role for club and country but for how long will he do it? The head coach of Argentina recently stated that soccer is ‘changing’ and everyone around him wanted Messi to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Currently, the Argentine legend is on national duty. Tomorrow, his country will kick off its campaign in the Qualifying rounds of the 2026 World Cup. Considered an obvious favorite to qualify, La Albiceleste will be facing Ecuador and Bolivia.

Will Lionel Messi stay around for long enough till the 2026 World Cup?

Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni has had a magical impact on the national squad since his arrival. He had an important role in convincing the World Cup winner to continue playing for his country. Lionel Messi had initially retired in 2016 but that did not last very long. In retrospect, his decision to make in comeback to international soccer worked out. He won the Copa America and then the World Cup.

But for how much longer will Lionel Messi hang around? This is a question in many soccer fans’ minds. Recently, Scaloni addressed the never-dying question. He said, “For the good of football, we all want him to be able to play it”. The head coach also mentioned that soccer was constantly ‘changing’ and then he asked for some ‘respect’ considering their upcoming qualifier games in the coming hours.

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He continued, “Everyone would like him to be, but to talk about it now. We have to be quite prudent, this qualifier will be complicated”, as compiled by GOL and translated by DeepL. The media also asked Scaloni if Lionel Messi would play in the qualifiers. To which, Scaloni responded that the veteran would play ‘as much as he can play’. With the new 48-team World Cup format in place, does that affect Messi and Argentina at all? Let’s dive deeper.

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Defending champions Argentina’s World Cup fate

The upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2026 will have 48 teams in total which is 16 more than the Qatar World Cup. This means that the South American quota has now increased from four to six direct qualification spots. The seventh-place team plays an Intercontinental qualifier. It is safe to assume that teams like Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay will surely advance to the main tournament’s group stage.

Lionel Messi who is currently in top form with Inter Miami will be facing Moises Caicedo’s Ecuador and Bolivia. Accompanying the soccer legend on the pitch would be other big names like Julian Alvarez, Angel Di Maria, Enzo Fernandez, Lisandro Martinez, and many more. Argentina proudly boasts a six-year unbeaten record in the CONMEBOL Qualifiers. They’ve gone 21 consecutive games without losing.

Rest assured, Argentina will likely qualify for the World Cup but will Lionel Messi hang around for three more years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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