Lionel Messi gets brutally honest about playing the 2026 World Cup with Argentina: ‘I don’t want to be a burden’

Lionel Messi has been the subject of speculation for the past three years regarding his possible involvement in the FIFA World Cup 2026. While he has been part of the Argentina national team throughout the pre-tournament process, he has yet to confirm whether he will play in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“Obviously, I’m excited. The World Cup is the biggest competition there is. So I’m excited, but taking it day by day,” Messi said during a recent interview with Sport. “A World Cup means a lot, especially after having won it.”

However, the Inter Miami forward was cautious about his chances of making the Argentina squad, offering an honest confession. “I don’t want to be a burden,” Leo admitted. “I want to feel physically well, to be sure I can help and contribute to the group, to the squad.”

This statement, though candid, aligns with what Messi has said over the past few months. As the World Cup approaches, it has become an unavoidable topic in every interview, and his stance has not changed. Knowing that he will turn 39 during the tournament, the forward still has doubts about whether his body will be able to compete at the highest level of intensity.

“Our season is different from Europe’s,” Lionel explained regarding Major League Soccer. “We will have a preseason in between, only a few matches before the World Cup, and I will see day by day if I really feel physically ready to be at the level I would like and be able to participate.”

The next World Cup will be more demanding than previous editions

The World Cup is not only the most prestigious tournament in world sports, but also an elite competition that demands extreme physical and mental effort. The best players from each country enter the tournament knowing they will have to wait four years for another chance to play it. This makes every match mean far more than just a game.

These conditions will become even more challenging in 2026, due to the format change that will expand the number of teams to 48, instead of the 32 that participated in Qatar 2022. From now on, the path to the title will include eight matches in 39 days, which is a significant physical demand.

Messi’s recent injuries

The new World Cup format will present a major challenge for Lionel Messi, as well as any other player approaching 40 years old. In the case of the Inter Miami forward, his recent injury history raises questions about how his body will respond under such demanding conditions, making his cautious approach understandable.

So far in 2025, Messi has suffered three muscular injuries that kept him off the field for a total of 30 days, according to Transfermarkt. The first occurred in March, when an adductor issue prevented him from playing in the World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil.

In August, Lionel faced two consecutive muscular problems that sidelined him from several Inter Miami matches. He was first out for 11 days, returned briefly, and after only one match had to rest another nine days to fully recover. A similar situation during the World Cup would likely mean he would miss the remainder of the tournament.