Lionel Messi scored twice at his home soil today in Argentina vs Venezuela match which was also considered to be his last here. It was speculated that Lionel Messi might not play the 2026 World Cup following which the Argentina star has now opened up about his participation.
After Argentina’s dashing win, Messi mentioned that he is motivated to stay but he wants to go “day by day” and see what will unfold next. His participation still remains undecided in the 2026 World Cup.
“Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it. But well, we’re almost there so I’m excited and motivated to play it,” Messi said after match against Venezuela
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“Like I always say, I go day by day, match by match. That’s it taking it day by day, going by how I feel. Day by day, trying to feel good and above all, being honest with myself,” Messi added.
“When I feel good, I enjoy it. But when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good. So, we’ll see. I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.
“Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then I’ll have preseason, and there will be six months left. So, we’ll see how I feel. Hopefully I’ll have a good preseason in 2026, and finish this MLS season well, and then I’ll decide.”
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At 38, Messi continues to defy his age and expectations. In the match against Venezuela he equaled the long standing record of Colombia’s Ivan Hurtado for most appearances in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers which is 72. The Argentina star was successful in finding the net in the first half of the match and added a second goal after the break, he completed a brace in front of the charged up crowd. Messi now holds the record of most goals scored in South American World Cup qualifiers – with 36 goals.
