Lionel Messi May Have 'Completed' Football But He Still Wants More At FIFA World Cup 2026
Lionel Messi has already created his legacy, but immortality beckons the Argentine superstar at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In 2022, Lionel Messi 'completed' football. In his illustrious career, he won multiple league titles, domestic cups and even the Copa America with Argentina. He etched his name as one of the modern greats of the game but there was always this thought in the mind of every football fan - "Will the superstar retire without winning the World Cup?"Â Two quarterfinal losses in 2006 and 2010 was followed by a heart-breaking loss against Germany in the 2014 final. 2018 ended on the worst note possible when France knocked Messi's Argentina out in the Round Of 16. Cut to 2022 and the loss against Saudi Arabia brought back bitter memories for all the fans and the fear was that the dream was once again going to end too soon.
However, fate had a different story this time. A campaign which saw brilliant win and an exceptional team performance ended with a thrilling win over France and Messi finally lifting the World Cup title to the delight of a majority of football fans.
Still The Focal Point
The popular narrative after the World Cup was that Messi was not going to play another one for Argentina. A move to the Major League Soccer (MLS) followed and his not-so-regular appearances for Inter Miami made a lot of people feel that the legend was still headed towards retirement. However, the reality was far from it as he is ready for his sixth World Cup campaign.
Argentina topped the CONMEBOL qualification points table with 38 points and Messi emerged as the top performer with 8 goals. For reference, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez were joint second for Argentina with 4 goals.
At 38 years old, Messi will be playing his sixth World Cup in 2026 but he remains the focal point of the team. The US audience is already familiar with the Argentine superstar and his fanfare has hardly gone down in the past 3 years. The sound was defeaning when he came on against Iceland in the warm-up game and ended up scoring from the penalty spot.
Job Not Done Yet?
The legacy may have been secured but Messi has the chance to create his empire. The superstar is just 4 goals away from becoming the highest goal-scorer in the history of the World Cup and just one goal or assist away from breaking Pele's record of most goal contributions in the tournament. Coming to assists, he is just 2 away from claiming that record as well.
However, the biggest record in Messi's sight will be to become the first captain ever to win two World Cups. It is a feat that has eluded the biggest names but Messi is on verge of immortality with an Argentina team that has shown a lot of promise.
Argentina
Lionel Messi