The question hovering over world soccer is no longer whether Lionel Messi can still perform at the highest level, but whether he wants to take one final step onto the sport’s biggest stage. As the reigning world champion navigates the twilight of his career with club and country, every comment is dissected, every meeting magnified. Now, Lionel Scaloni has added another layer of intrigue—offering a carefully chosen hint that has reignited debate about Messi’s place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speculation intensified after Scaloni confirmed that he recently met Messi in Rosario. The image was simple: two figures who have shared soccer’s highest summit. Yet the symbolism was impossible to ignore. “I met with Leo because we were nearby. We had coffee,” Scaloni explained to AFA Estudio, downplaying the moment while acknowledging its natural importance.
It was not a formal summit, nor a negotiation. Instead, the 47-year-old coach framed it as part of his broader approach—maintaining open lines of communication with senior players as Argentina prepares for a new cycle. Still, with the 2026 World Cup looming, the timing ensured that the conversation would be interpreted as something more.
What Scaloni emphasized most was not Messi’s future, but the superstar’s present. According to the coach, the star’s defining trait has not faded with age. “Those of us who know him understand that he will never relax. He’s a born competitor,” Scaloni said.
Lionel Scaloni head coach of Argentina talks with Lionel Messi.
That competitiveness, the manager argued, continues to shape the entire dressing room. Messi’s presence alone raises standards, particularly for younger players who see a captain unwilling to coast on reputation. “It’s very important for his teammates to see him like that. It’s a legacy that will be left,” Scaloni added, underlining how leadership extends beyond minutes played or goals scored. In this sense, La Albiceleste captain’s value to the national team is not only tactical, but cultural.
The cryptic message revealed
Only midway through his reflections did Scaloni finally touch on the World Cup question directly—and when he did, the message was deliberately restrained. “We didn’t talk about the World Cup,” he said, before delivering the line that has since echoed across global media: “We need to leave him alone to make the right decision.”
Those words were not a confirmation, nor a denial. Instead, they were a declaration of intent from the coaching staff: Messi’s decision will come on his terms, without pressure from the federation, the public, or even the coach himself. Scaloni was clear that once the Inter Miami star decides, Argentina will adapt accordingly: “Then we will think about what is best for the team, based on that decision.” Until then, patience is part of the plan.
