In an interview with Chinese media on Tuesday, Lionel Messi said that he “doesn’t think” he will participate in another World Cup. Messi, who is 35 years old, led Argentina to victory in the World Cup held in Qatar in 2017.
When asked by China’s Titan Sports in a video interview whether he may appear in the 2026 event in North America, he said, “I have said several times before that I don’t think so, that that (2022) was my last World Cup,” he added.
“I will see how things go but in theory I don’t think I will be around for the next World Cup,” he continued in Spanish in the video that was released on the app Kuaishou. The footage was shared by the app’s developer.
The winner of the Ballon d’Or an incredible seven times is presently in Beijing, where Argentina will face off against Australia in a friendly match on Thursday.
His statements come after he told an Argentinian daily, Ole, earlier this year that it would be “very difficult” for him to participate in another World Cup. His remarks come after he made those statements.
The next competition will coincide with his becoming 39 years old.
Following the conclusion of his two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi made the announcement last week that he would be joining the MLS club Inter Miami.
The friendly match between Argentina and Australia will take place on Thursday at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, which has a capacity of 68,000.
The teams will face each other once again in the round of 16 of the World Cup in Doha, where Argentina emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline.
Despite the fact that the tickets were offered at a price that increased to 4,800 Yuan ($671), they were quickly purchased by Chinese fans who were eager to see the former Barcelona star in action.