Lionel Messi, having won nearly every possible title with both his club and national team, no longer has any regrets in football. After leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup, most people believe that Messi is the greatest player in football history. At 38 years old, Messi is now waiting to retire from football, but with the million-dollar question looming: Will he play in the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup is just around the corner, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year. Messi now plays for Inter Miami in the U.S., and with the World Cup being in North America, curiosity about his participation is natural. By then, Messi will be 39 years old, making it difficult to imagine playing in another World Cup. However, since it’s Messi, there’s always hope. Argentina, which ended a 36-year drought with Messi’s leadership, will undoubtedly want him to play in another World Cup. Argentina’s fans are hopeful that Messi will deliver another World Cup victory for them. Coach Lionel Scaloni also hopes Messi will play, but ultimately, the decision lies with Messi himself.

So, what is Messi thinking? According to Messi’s close friend and teammate, Luis Suárez, there is still a possibility of Messi playing in the 2026 World Cup, which should bring joy to Argentina’s supporters.

Suárez, who plays alongside Messi at Inter Miami, gave an interview this week where he was asked about both his and Messi's potential retirement. Suárez humorously referred to the question as "funny" and revealed that Messi still has the desire to play at the highest level for Argentina. Messi, despite his age and recent injuries, still has ambitions of playing in the World Cup next year in North America.

Messi missed Argentina’s recent World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Uruguay due to an abdominal injury, and he has been battling ongoing injuries recently. This has led to various rumors about his international career. However, Suárez remains optimistic about Messi’s chances of playing in the 2026 World Cup.

Reflecting on his own career, Suárez, who retired from the Uruguay national team last year, said, "No, yes, we joke about retirement often, but he still wants to play in the World Cup next year." Suárez added, "Of course, when I was away from the national team for a while, it didn’t bother me as much as it bothered him. But we haven’t talked about it in detail yet. Yes, we might talk about it when we’re old, but for now, we haven’t discussed it in depth."