Messi reaffirms that he should not play in the 2026 World Cup – 06/13/2023 – Sports

The 35-year-old Lionel Messi, world champion with Argentina in the Qatar Cup in 2022, said that, “in principle”, he will not play in the 2026 World Cup.

“I’ve said it a few times. I don’t think so. Now I’m going to see how things go, but, at first, I don’t think I’ll make it to the next World Cup,” said Messi, in an interview with the Chinese sports newspaper Titan Sports, published on video on the platform. Kuaishou.

The winner of seven Golden Balls is in Beijing with the Argentine national team to play a friendly next Thursday (15th), against Australia.

At the beginning of February, Messi had already been pessimistic about his participation in the next Cup.

“By his age, it seems very difficult”, the player had declared to the Argentine newspaper Olé.

In the same interview, Messi also spoke about the Ballon d’Or award, for which he is one of the favorites alongside Norwegian striker Erling Haaland of Manchester City.

“I always said that the individual prizes were not what attracted me. The collective prizes were always the most important thing for me”, he said.

“And the most important prize in recent times has been the World Cup, that’s my biggest prize. The truth is that, at this point in my career, if it happens, great, if not, fine. I think because I got the World Cup, which was what I was missing, I am more satisfied and grateful for the career I had. I think that, in the end, it is the most important thing”, he concluded.

The Argentine delegation landed in Beijing last Saturday to face Australia at the Workers’ Stadium. The venue was recently renovated and has a capacity for 68,000 spectators.

With prices reaching 4,800 yuan (R$ 3,278 at current exchange rates), tickets for the game sold out quickly.