Legendary Argentine footballer Juan Roman Riquelme predicts Lionel Messi will play in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
After winning in Qatar 2022, Messi was anticipated to leave the national team. Still, he stayed on and went on to lead the Albiceleste to victory in another Copa America.
The Inter Miami player has already been asked if he plans to play in the upcoming world tournament, but he has never responded with a firm response. He’s been leaving it open lately, saying that feelings will decide who participates.
Recently, Riquelme shared his thoughts on the matter. He claims he is confident the Inter Miami star will guide the Albiceleste to their fourth Mundial, the 2026 World Cup.
According to an article by Goal, Riquelme said on the AZZ channel: “Messi is reinventing himself. You never know what he can do. And I have no doubt that he will play in the next World Cup; he has to play. We will all be rooting for him to play. I don’t tease him too much, but we talk a lot. That’s why I think he’s going to play. He’s very good; it’s something that’s not normal. And to that, he adds that he really likes to compete. He’s won a lot, and he still wants to keep winning.”
Messi told Star Plus in December last year that “time will tell whether I will be (at the 2026 World Cup) or not.” “As long as I feel I am well and that I am able to help, I will do it. Today all I think about is getting well in the Copa América and playing it. Fight for it again; as we always do, try to be the champions.
“If we do well at Copa América and I can keep playing, maybe it will happen.”
Messi, who was left off the Argentina World Cup 2026 qualifying squad for their September games against Chile and Colombia. They lost 2-1 to Colombia, a team that presented a real challenge for them.
Forbes stated in an article that “Maybe Argentina’s management team is taking this precautionary measure because they are aware of their favorable FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying position. What’s the point of taking a chance, Captain Fantastic? It’s more likely that Lionel Messi’s injury recovery hasn’t faltered than that playing on the field could jeopardize his long-term fitness, which wouldn’t be a prudent decision at 37.”
Argentina also have qualifying games in October and November, so it probably won’t be long before Messi is seen in an Argentina shirt again, Forbes said.
After a protracted injury layoff, Messi triumphantly returned to the field on Saturday, scoring twice in Inter Miami’s 3-1 Major League Soccer victory over the Philadelphia Union. The next time we see him in action is this coming week when the Herons play another Eastern Conference matchup against Atlanta United.
Image Credit: (@InterMiamiCF)/X