Argentina captain Lionel Messi wants to play at the 2026 World Cup, according to his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suárez.
Messi, 37, the most valuable player at the last World Cup, has not announced if he intends to play in next year’s tournament that will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Suárez, when asked if he has spoken about retirement with Messi, the Uruguay forward told El Pais, “No, we do talk (about it.) Jokingly, many times, but he (Messi) also has that desire to play in next year’s World Cup. Obviously, after being away from the national team for a while, that desire is fading more on my side than on his, but we haven’t talked about it (retirement) yet.”
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi enjoyed perhaps his finest hour at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where Argentina bounced back from a surprise 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their opener to win the tournament. Messi followed that triumph with another by leading Argentina to the 2024 Copa América.
Argentina have already qualified for next year’s World Cup.
However, Suárez stopped short of confirming Messi will play.
When asked if Messi had told him if he will play at the event, Suárez said, “No, no, no, I don’t ask him either … I know what he is like and I don’t ask him anything regarding that. Time will tell.”
Meanwhile, Suárez has not decided when he is going to stop playing.
Asked if he is considering retiring from football at the end of the year, Suarez said, “Time will tell how long I’ll be able to do it (for), but I still have that flame of wanting to play, of wanting to compete.”
“As long as that flame is lit I will want to continue competing until I can take it no longer. I don’t have a deadline of this [year] or the next. But as long as I’m still keen, still up to it and showing it, I’m going to continue enjoying it.”
