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The entire footballing world renounced its joy when Lionel Messi; arguably one the greatest football players of all time, won the coveted FIFA World Cup on 18 December 2022 at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Since then, the Argentine football team has been in a rich vein of form under manager Lionel Scaloni as they have already won three major titles under the current manager. They also came out victorious against Brazil recently in the Qualifier match for the 2026 World Cup and sealed their spot for the upcoming tournament. An instrumental character in Argentina’s success has been goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper is a menace during penalty shootouts and has proven his mettle by making some crucial saves for club and country in crunch time. Speaking out after the recent victory over Brazil and aspirations for the 2026 World Cup, the 32-year old World Cup winner said that he would give up playing international football if Argentina won another World Cup. He said, “If we win two world cups in a row, that’s it.. I’m retiring from international football.”
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 World Cup?
Argentina will look to defend their title in the upcoming 2026 World Cup happening in the US. While Emi Martinez will most likely be Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper for the tournament, the presence of another Argentine player will be the major question for everybody, and that player of course is Lionel Messi. While he has not issued any official statements over playing or not playing the upcoming World Cup, it will be interesting to see whether Messi can play in such a big tournament, given his age.
Messi, who will be turning 38 next year, has already moved past the pinnacle of his football career, however he more often than not shows glimpses of the sheer quality and class he possesses. While he is away from top-flight European football by playing with Inter Miami FC, Messi has been featuring regularly with the national team and even won the 2023/24 Copa America. Although he missed the recent international matches with Argentina, it will be interesting to see whether he plays in the upcoming World Cup.
