We’re on the road to the 2026 World Cup with excitement building in the United States, Canada and Mexico ahead of the trio hosting the tournament.
There are many talking points heading into the tournament, from who will lift the trophy to how the heat and humidity in North America will change things, but one that has been constantly on people’s lips is whether Lionel Messi will feature in the tournament.
We take a closer look at Messi’s international record, current form, Argentina’s qualifying campaign, and the factors that could determine whether the legendary player will take part at the 2026 World Cup.
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Messi’s International Record
Messi is Argentina’s most-capped player, amassing 196 appearances since his debut in 2005. He’s also scored the most goals for his country, eclipsing Gabriel Batistuta’s 56 goals in 2016 and going on to score a further 58 goals since, increasing his tally to 115 goals. He has also provided more assists than any other player in Argentinian history, setting up his teammates 61 times.
In the 21 years since his debut Messi has ruled the footballing world, scoring 10 international hat-tricks, slotting home 24 penalties and 11 free-kicks and contributing with 14 goals from outside the area from open play.
Messi finally achieved his dream of lifting the World Cup in 2022, captaining Argentina and scoring once in 90 minutes against France, before finding the net again in extra-time, as well as scoring in the penalty shootout.
Messi, who has captained his country 19 times at the World Cup, has a huge number of honours, both with his clubs, country and individually, including eight Ballon d’Or’s, eight FIFA World Player of the Year awards and two FIFA World Cup Golden Balls.
Messi’s World Cup Record
Messi’s trophy cabinet is overflowing but the one trophy that had evaded him was the World Cup. He finally added the famous trophy to his arsenal in 2022, when Argentina were crowned world champions.
The 38-year-old has featured at every World Cup since 2006 and has scored at each of those tournaments apart from the 2010 edition. He has 13 World Cup goals in 26 matches which puts him joint-fourth on the all-time list with France’s Just Fontaine. He needs four more World Cup goals to move ahead of Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) into first place.
Argentina’s best finish in the Messi era came in his last World Cup in 2022 when they beat France on penalties. Prior to that, Argentina’s best finish with Messi in the squad came in 2014, where they reached the final but were beaten by Germany after extra time.
Messi’s World Cup Numbers
| World Cup | Matches Played | Goals | Stage of Elimination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 3 | 1 | Quarter-Finals |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 | Quarter-Finals |
| 2014 | 7 | 4 | Runners-up |
| 2018 | 4 | 1 | Round of 16 |
| 2022 | 7 | 7 | Winners |
Will Argentina be at the 2026 World Cup?
Argentina qualified for the 2026 World Cup with relatively ease, topping the Conmebol qualifying table, losing just four of their 18 matches along the way.
They finished nine points clear of the other South American nations in the group, scoring 31 times and conceding just 10, ensuring they would appear at their 14th consecutive finals.
Argentina are three time winners of the tournament and will be looking to lift the trophy again and move level with Germany and Italy, who have both won the competition four times.
La Selección have been drawn into Group J at the 2026 World Cup, alongside Austria, Algeria and Jordan and they are expected to advance through their group, especially with the new format allowing some third-placed teams to qualify.
Messi’s form in 2025
Messi made the move to MLS in 2023, joining Inter Miami and made an immediate impact, scoring nine goals in his first six games for his side. Since that point he’s broke the record for the most assists in a single MLS game with five, lead Miami to a record points haul of 74 and won the MVP award in back-to-back seasons.
In 2025, he played 49 games for Inter Miami and scored 43 goals, as well as providing 25 assists. It’s an incredible record, with Messi showing no signs of slowing down despite turning 39 this summer, just two days after Argentina play Austria in the group stages of the World Cup.
He’s averaged a goal contribution every 61 minutes for Inter Miami and it was a similar story for his country too, with five appearances for Argentina in 2025 being marked with three goals and three assists, meaning a goal contribution every 63 minutes.
Will Messi be going to the World Cup?
So, the big question, will Messi be going to the World Cup?
At this point, barring injury, it looks incredibly likely that Messi will make his sixth appearance at a World Cup finals.
Argentina have qualified for the tournament and Messi was included in Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the March friendlies, indicating that he’s still very much in the manager’s plans for the summer.
After achieving glory in Qatar in 2022 and leading Inter Miami to success in MLS, Messi will surely look to put the seal on a glittering career this summer.
Messi hasn’t dropped any hints about when he plans to retire, although his Inter Miami contract runs to 2028, when he will turn 41. In a recent interview with Luzu TV he did discuss he plans for when he does hang up his boots, though:
“I don’t see myself as a coach. I like the idea of being a manager, but I’d prefer to be an owner. I’d like to have my own club, start from the bottom, and make it grow. To be able to give the kids the opportunity to develop and achieve something important. If I had to choose, that’s what would appeal to me most.”.
With a continuing hunger to succeed and no signs of his form deteriorating, a dream ending to his international career isn’t out of the question this summer – though it remains to be seen if he will continue his playing career with Argentina
