 "Luis Suarez reveals Lionel Messi's desire to defend Argentina's title at 2026 FIFA World Cup")
Lionel Messi ’s possible participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become one of football’s most discussed topics in the past few months. Now, Messi’s close friend and Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez has weighed in on the Argentine legend’s desire to play in the tournament.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper El País, Suarez revealed that Messi still has the desire to represent his country at the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Suarez on Messi’s participation in 2026 World Cup
The Uruguayan striker, who now shares the field with Messi at Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami, emphasised that he has deliberately avoided asking Messi about his international future.
“He has those desires to play the World Cup next year too. But no, I don’t even ask him. I already know him and how he thinks. Time will tell," Suarez was quoted as saying.
“Obviously, after being away from the national team, that feeling starts to fade more on my side than his, but we haven’t really talked about it. Some people don’t get it… I didn’t even look at him after he scored the penalty the other day. I know him too well. Sometimes just being part of that moment makes me more nervous," he added.
Should Messi opt to play in 2026, it would mark his sixth World Cup appearance, a feat no player in football history has achieved. Cristiano Ronaldo, his long-time rival, could also reach that milestone if Portugal qualify and he remains in the squad.
Messi made his debut in the tournament as a teenager during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Since then, he has become Argentina’s all-time top scorer, captained them to Copa America glory in 2021, and led the side to their historic World Cup triumph in Qatar in 2022.
Messi will be 39 years old at the 2026 World Cup, but his current form suggests he still has plenty left to offer. In the ongoing MLS season, he has continued to influence games for Inter Miami as he most recently scored twice in a comeback victory over Los Angeles FC.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, however, has kept a diplomatic stance on Messi’s World Cup future. Speaking to ESPN, he said, “We will see what happens, there’s plenty of time. He will decide it whenever he wants. Let’s not drive him crazy with this.”
Messi missed Argentina’s last two World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to injury concerns but did feature in their international fixtures during the October and November break.
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