Javier Mascherano appears to confirm Lionel Messi 2026 World Cup decision as Inter Miami boss assesses current Argentina squad

As Messi is now plying his club trade in the United States, with a historic MLS Cup triumph being savoured in 2025, he will not have as much competitive football under his belt as European-based performers when FIFA’s flagship event heads to North America this summer.

He has hinted at that being an issue, with the 38-year-old stating that he does not want to be a “burden” to Argentina if not fully match sharp and firing on all cylinders. There will, however, be ample opportunity for minutes to be taken in, and being fresher than many rivals of his rivals could be considered a positive.

Albiceleste boss Lionel Scaloni has kept the door open for Messi, with regular rounds of talks being held between the pair. The all-time great will be selected if a green light is given as he remains a talismanic presence in the No.10 role.

Mascherano, who once played alongside Messi for Barcelona and Argentina and is now his head coach at Inter Miami, sees no reason why an evergreen superstar cannot help to defend the most prestigious of trophies.

Offering hope to those in his homeland, Mascherano said “yes, why not” when asked if Messi can grace the sixth World Cup finals of his remarkable career. He is looking to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa in that department - if they are selected by Portugal and Mexico, respectively.

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Mascherano added, as he gets to see Messi up close on a daily basis and knows the kind of condition that the South American GOAT is in: “I like to stay close to the players and, above all, understand how they feel. No one knows better than them how their body is responding.”

Asked about the Albiceleste’s chances of going back-to-back on the World Cup-winning front, Mascherano said: “Argentina is going to approach the World Cup in the best possible way. They've been competing at a very high level for a long time and have extraordinary players.”

Messi is already the all-time leading appearance-maker at World Cup finals, having graced 26 matches so far. He appears set to raise that bar even further, while adding to a haul of 196 international caps.

He has previously said when asked about forming part of Argentina’s global title defence in 2026: “I hope I can be there. I've said before that I'd love to be there. At worst, I'll be there watching it live, but it will be special. The World Cup is special for everyone, for any country - especially for us, because we live it in a completely different way.”

Messi added on talks with Scaloni: “The truth is we've been talking about it. He understands, and we've discussed it a lot. He always tells me that he would like me to be there in any role. We have a relationship of great trust and we can talk about everything.”

Messi has ruled himself out of a Finalissima clash between Argentina and European champions Spain, which would have seen him come up against 18-year-old Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal. That game is scheduled to take place on March 27 at Lusail Stadium - the venue that played host to the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

While international retirement would appear to be beckoning for Messi, as he continues to mull over his options, there is no chance of him bowing out of the club arena any time soon as a contract extension through 2028 has been signed with MLS Cup winners Inter Miami.