Lionel Messi Opens Up on 2026 World Cup: What Argentine Legend Said after Final Match in Argentina?

Lionel Messi spoke about how emotional the game against Venezuela would be for him. He said it was a special moment since it was his last World Cup qualifier at home, and that his entire family would be there to share it with him. A video surfaced on the internet during Argentina's warm-up where Messi was seen in tears while the whole stadium was chanting his name.

It was a special night for Lionel Messi as thousands of fans packed the stadium to honor one of the greatest players in history. As soon as the match began, Messi switched into the game mode. Argentina have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, Venezuela's goalkeeper was able to stop Argentina from scoring, but deadlock finally broke in the 39th minute. Messi showed brilliance in the match, scoring twice for Argentina and helping them seal a comfortable 3-0 victory, in what was his final World Cup qualifier on home soil, he scored two goals and Lautaro Martinez added another as the Argentina star signed off in style in his last official match in the country, yet not revealing his plans to retire from International football.

Will Messi Play 2026 World Cup?

After what could be his last game for Argentina, he admitted afterwards that the night carried enormous emotional weight for him. He described it as “a dream to finish this way in front of my people.” Lionel Messi equalled Colombian legend Ivan Hurtado's record for the most appearances in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers (72), while his goals took him to a record 36 the highest in South American history. Messi gave a cautious response. He said :

"There are so many emotions, I’ve experienced so many things in this field. It’s always a joy to play in Argentina with our people. We’ve been enjoying match after match for many years. I’m very happy; being able to finish in this way here is what I always dreamed of.”

“Same as I said before about the World Cup that I don’t think I’ll play another. Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it. But well, we’re almost there, so I’m excited and motivated to play it. Like I always say, I go day by day, match by match. That’s it, taking it day by day, going by how I feel.

“Day by day, trying to feel good and above all, being honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it, but when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good. So we’ll see. I haven’t decided for the World Cup.”

Is Messi Retiring from International Football?

If he is true to his word, Argentina's next home game is likely to come after the World Cup next summer, and he will retire from international duty by this time next year. Messi had already retired from international duty in 2016 after losing three consecutive major tournament finals, but decided to come out of retirement soon and eventually went on to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
This doesn't mean the end of his club career; his contract with Inter Miami expires at the end of 2025, but David Beckham and co are confident he will renew his contract. He may not be known for his goal involvements in the Major League Soccer (MLS), but he has 90 goal involvements in 73 games for Inter Miami so far, and he would want to keep fit and sharp ahead of the 2026 World Cup next year.