Messi may not play in the 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi may not participate in the 2026 World Cup as a member of the Argentina national team. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

According to The Touchline source, the 38-year-old footballer is considering the possibility of not playing in the World Cup. This information was provided by the euro-football.ru website.

According to the source, Messi will make such a decision based on his physical condition. If he feels that he is not fully prepared, even if this readiness is 1% lower, he may choose not to participate in the tournament.

This matter is very important for the footballer. Additionally, Messi considers the level of the MLS championship in the United States not sufficiently competitive to prepare for the World Cup.

Therefore, he is paying great attention to perfect physical training to maintain his sports form at a high level. Argentina will participate in the 2026 World Cup as the reigning champion.

In the previous World Cup final, Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout to claim the championship. For this reason, this issue involves not only personal but also team responsibility for Messi.