Inter Miami start 2026 preparations: Why Lionel Messi faces the most important preseason of his career

Forty-one days have passed since the 2025 Major League Soccer final in which Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps to win the first league title in club history. This Saturday, Lionel Messi and his teammates returned to preseason training ahead of the 2026 campaign, a crucial year for the Argentine forward.

Looking ahead, Messi not only faces commitments with the Herons in MLS, the Leagues Cup, and the Concacaf Champions Cup, but also, above all, the possibility of playing in what would be his final major tournament with the Argentina national team: the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Despite being part of the entire process under head coach Lionel Scaloni from 2023 through the November 2025 international break, Messi has not yet secured his participation in the FIFA tournament, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

During the World Cup, Messi will turn 39 years old. That is an unusual age for a soccer player, especially for a member of an elite national team like Argentina. For that reason, he has expressed doubts about his availability for the challenge, particularly regarding the physical condition required to meet the tournament’s demands.

Messi speaks about the importance of the 2026 preseason

Over the past several months, nearly every public appearance by Lionel Messi has included the same question that captivates fans around the world: Will he play in the 2026 World Cup with Argentina? Consistently, the forward has avoided giving a definitive answer.

Instead, he has made clear what will ultimately determine his decision. “A World Cup is the biggest competition there is. I’m excited, but I’m going to take it day by day,” he said in an interview with ESPN in December.

“It comes at a completely different point in the season compared to Europe and other leagues. We’ll start preseason in January, and from February to May we’ll have a lot of matches in the Concacaf Champions Cup and the league. We’ll play often, and I hope to have a good preseason to prepare for that,” Messi explained.

With those words, the Argentine star outlined what is at stake in the coming weeks: nothing less than the opportunity to play in his sixth and final World Cup. “I’m going to take it day by day, being honest, trying to be realistic, and feeling good,” Messi said. That is why what happens during the upcoming preseason under Javier Mascherano could play a decisive role in Leo’s ultimate decision.