'Now I Can't Leave': World Cup Winner Lionel Messi Opens up on His Future With Argentina

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has opened up on his future with the Argentina national team as it seems like he is not yet done. After guiding the La Albiceleste to World Cup glory last year, Messi has been on cloud nine and continues to enjoy his journey in Argentine colours. The 35-year-old recently netted a wonderful goal against Australia in a friendly match in China.

The legendary star scored the fastest goal of his career – within 79 seconds to enthral fans in Beijing who came in big numbers to support him and World Champions Argentina.

Messi said that his future would have been completely different if he hadn’t won the last year’s showpiece event in Qatar.

“If we hadn’t won the World Cup, I would no longer be in the national team. Now I can’t leave,” Messi told Sofi Martinez Mateos on Televisión Pública.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was also asked about how he would like to be remembered 30 years from now to which he replied: “No matter what happens along the way, you always have to try and hopefully that is the message, more than the memory for the new generation, who always followed me, took care of me and defended me. Later, as a normal person, beyond sports… That they remember me as a good person, above all”.

Meanwhile, a few days back, Messi, arguably the greatest player in history, confirmed that he might not be around for the 2026 World Cup with the Argentina team.

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“I have said several times before that I don’t think so, that that (2022) was my last World Cup,” he said when asked by China’s Titan Sports in a video interview if he might feature at the 2026 tournament in North America.

“I will see how things go but in theory I don’t think I will be around for the next World Cup,” he added in Spanish in the video published on the app Kuaishou.

On Thursday the Argentina side beat Australia in another friendly in the Chinese capital Beijing, with head coach Lionel Scaloni confirming that Messi would not make the Indonesian leg of their Asian tour.