Lionel Messi will soon be playing games in the U.S., but he will not take the field in the country during the globe’s biggest soccer tournament three years from now.
The 2022 World Cup champion announced Tuesday that he does not plan to play in the next edition of the tournament across the U.S., Canada and Mexico in 2026.
“I think not,” he told Chinese sports outlet Titan Sports, via ESPN. “[Qatar] was my last World Cup. I'll see how things go, but as it is right now, no, I won't go to the next World Cup.”
Messi said ahead of the 2022 event that it would be his last World Cup with Argentina. He made the most of it, leaving Qatar with his first World Cup title and the Golden Ball award after scoring twice and scoring a clutch penalty-shootout goal in an epic final against France.
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After finally claiming World Cup glory, Messi said he would continue playing with Argentina “as a champion.” In February, he kept open the possibility of returning for the 2026 World Cup in Qatar, saying “it depends on how my career is going.”
The next stop in Messi’s career is Miami. The 35-year-old announced last week that he is joining MLS club Inter Miami after spending the last two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi is currently in China with the Argentinian national team for an international friendly against Australia on Thursday. La Albiceleste will then head to Jakarta for a friendly against Indonesia on Monday.
