Messi heads to 2026 World Cup with Argentina legacy secure

BUENOS AIRES: Lionel Messi goes into the 2026 World Cup with the burden that shadowed much of his international career no longer hanging over him after Argentina’s triumph in Qatar in 2022.

When Argentina’s captain lifted the trophy at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022, he completed the one major achievement missing from a career already filled with club honours, including eight Ballons d’Or. Before that victory, the World Cup remained the one title that had escaped him and, in Argentina, left him behind Diego Maradona in many comparisons. Now, with a world title to his name, Messi approaches the next tournament with his status already established regardless of what he can contribute on the pitch.

Former Argentina striker Jorge Valdano, a member of the side that won the 1986 World Cup under Maradona, said Messi now appears free of that old pressure. “You see the happiness that Leo has: he’s liberated,” said Jorge Valdano, a former Argentina striker who played in the Maradona-inspired team that won the World Cup in 1986.

Messi turns 39 this month and has dealt with recurring physical problems in recent years. Even so, he could still have a significant influence, whether in shorter appearances as a substitute or as a senior figure within the squad. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged the realities of age while saying the 2022 success has changed the context around his captain. “From a physical standpoint, things change, not only for Messi but for everyone,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who is realistic about his prized asset. “The fact that he has won (a World Cup) won’t change his innate competitiveness. But it’s true that it has given him complete fulfilment. “There can be no doubting him now. He did it, and from here on in he can look at things with a fresh perspective.”

Argentina target rare repeat

Argentina are now chasing a feat not achieved in the men’s game since Brazil retained the trophy in 1962. If they win again, they would become only the third country to secure back-to-back World Cups after Italy in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Argentina would also be the first team to retain the title entirely outside their own region, as no nation has managed that before.

Still producing for club and country

In the latter stage of his career, Messi has continued to deliver for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. He has helped the club win three trophies, become its all-time leading scorer and become the first player to claim the MLS Most Valuable Player award in consecutive seasons.

He also remained productive in Argentina’s qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, finishing as the leading scorer in the group with eight goals in 12 matches.

Messi’s World Cup record is also highlighted by a series of milestones. He is Argentina’s youngest scorer at the tournament, having scored at the age of 18, and its all-time top World Cup scorer with 13 goals, compared with Maradona’s eight. His 26 appearances are the most by any player in the competition’s history.

At the same time, muscle injuries have affected the sharp acceleration that once defined much of his game, and few expect him to feature throughout the tournament. Messi is again likely to be measured against Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, with the two set to become the first players to appear at six World Cups. But for many observers, the question of Messi’s place in football history was effectively settled when he lifted the trophy in Qatar four years ago.