{"id":6094,"date":"2026-05-15T05:53:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T09:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/us\/?post_type=news&p=6094"},"modified":"2026-05-27T12:03:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:03:41","slug":"will-lionel-messi-play-at-the-2026-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/us\/news\/will-lionel-messi-play-at-the-2026-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Lionel Messi Play at the 2026 World Cup?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lionel Messi turns 39 two days after Argentina open their 2026 World Cup<\/a>. The question of whether he plays in North America has a clearer answer than the noise around it suggests.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Argentina have qualified, Messi is still being picked for friendlies, and his Inter Miami form<\/a> makes a 39-year-old look like a 30-year-old. Barring injury, he is going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What follows is the case in numbers: his international record, his World Cup record, Argentina’s path to the finals, his current form, and what Lionel Scaloni’s recent selections actually signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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