We thought it was acquired. After lifting the supreme trophy in Qatar, everyone imagined Lionel Messi bowed out on a last lap, a sixth record World Cup in 2026. The player himself had left doubt, but optimism remained in order. Except that the latest declarations from the very heart of the Argentine selection had the effect of a cold shower. And certainty has given way to very real anxiety.
Doubt settles for Messi
Whoever turned on the wick is his own coach, Lionel Scaloni. Asked about the presence of his captain at the next World Cup, the coach was of a disarming franchise.
“Honestly, I don't know”he admitted to a press conference. “I didn't talk to him about it. I only know what he said publicly, and he will take his time with this decision. Simple words, but weigh a ton. The Albiceleste guide, the man who led Messi at the top, admits himself navigating sight.
This declaration confirms the fears born of Messi's own words, who had already issued doubts about his participation. The fact that he chose to zap the last qualification match against the equator to favor his recovery with Inter Miami is another sign that does not deceive. At 38, the body no longer responds in the same way, and the head may also want to blow.
Lionel Messi: the 2026 World Cup compromise?
Argentina in front of a vacuum
For an entire nation, the idea of seeing his team defend his title without his number 10 is a real nightmare. Franco Armani, his former teammate, said it recently: “No one is prepared for that”.
Argentina is hung on its almost pleading idol. But the reality of passing time is relentless.
Uncertainty is therefore total. The final decision belongs only to one man, and he intends not to hurry. By 2026, many things can still happen. But for the first time, the hypothesis of a World Cup without Lionel Messi is no longer a fantasy, but a very real possibility. And for Argentina, it is a vertigo that she will have to learn to face.
