World Champion Messi Raises Questions About His Participation in the 2026 World Cup After Emotional Farewell Match

Lionel Messi revived the Argentine fans with a final brilliance on home soil, leading his national team to a 3-0 victory over Venezuela in the World Cup qualifying match, which is believed to be his last official game on Argentine soil, after which he made ambiguous statements about his international future.

The 38-year-old legend scored two goals in the match that took place on Friday morning during the 17th round of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) qualifiers, in which the Argentine team has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

After the match, Messi gave an emotional salute to the crowd, immediately raising questions about his potential participation in the next global tournament to defend the title, confirming that he has not made his final decision yet.

Messi said in exclusive statements to the Argentine television channel "TyC Sports": "I have always dreamed of reaching this level," adding: "I have gone through many experiences on this field, whether good or bad, but playing in Argentina in front of our fans is always a source of happiness."

Regarding the possibility of participating in the 2026 World Cup, he clarified, saying: "As I said before about the World Cup, I don't think I will participate again. Given my age, the most logical thing is that I will not participate."

But he added surprisingly: "But well, the World Cup is approaching, so I am excited and motivated to participate in the tournament. As I always say, I take it day by day, match by match, trying to feel happy, and most importantly, to be honest with myself."

The world football star continued: "When I feel happy, I enjoy it, but when I don't feel it, honestly, I don't have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don't feel happy. So we will see. I have not made a decision about playing in the World Cup yet."

Messi revealed his plan to reach a final decision: "I will finish the season, then I will go through the preseason, and there will be six months left. So we will see how things go. I hope to have a good preparatory season in 2026 and finish the MLS season well, then I will decide what I will do."

It is worth mentioning that this match was the last for Argentina on home soil in the qualifiers, where the fans bid farewell to their legend in a historic moment filled with athletic brilliance and questions about the future of the historic captain.