By Victor Kanayo
Argentine captain and former best footballer Lionel Messi is reportedly planning to play at the 2026 World Cup.
This comes as Messi’s national coach, Lionel Scaloni, said the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has always expressed his desire to remain in the team.
Scaloni led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, when Messi won his first-ever global prize.
“The first thing to say is that both he and his teammates are aware that there is a reasonable amount of time left and that he and everyone else are keen to play in the World Cup.
“We will have to wait and see how things develop. He (Messi) knows what we are thinking, and he is the most intelligent of us all,” Scaloni told DSPORTS.
Scaloni also spoke about former Argentina forward Ángel Di María’s decision to retire from international football after winning his second Copa América trophy in 2024.
Messi currently plays in the United States’ MLS.
