20/07/2026 18:15 - Deportes
After the Argentine National Team's 1-0 fall against Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, played on July 19, 2026, Lionel Messi's image moved the world. The captain, at 39 years old, showed his pain after the match where he played his game number 33 in World Cups and was substituted at 70 minutes by Giuliano Simeone.
However, the player from Rosario posted a message on his social networks where he expressed: "The pain is very big, but I also keep all the good things," admitting it will be hard to close the wound. Despite the sadness of not having been able to become champion, this was not his farewell from the Argentine National Team.
Although it was speculated this would be his last tournament at a World Cup level, Messi never communicated to his inner circle that he would leave the national team after this competition. Everything indicates the farewell, when it arrives, will be before the Argentine public.
Therefore, it is most likely the 10 will be present in the next September 2026 FIFA window, where Argentina will play friendlies (rivals still unconfirmed). It is an encouraging horizon for fans who dream of continuing to see him dressed in light blue and white.
The next World Cup will take place in 2030 and will have a special ingredient for Argentines: it will start in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, to then move to Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Although the national team is already qualified for being a host, it will participate in the Qualifiers that will start in September or October 2027.
Messi's future is surrounded by uncertainty due to his age, but the door remains open and optimism intact regarding what the captain will decide in the coming months.
On another front, head coach Lionel Scaloni announced he will fulfill his contract until December 2026 and then evaluate his continuity. A meeting with the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio Tapia, is expected during the next FIFA window to outline the team's path for the new cycle.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
