GOAT and Argentina star La Pulga has claimed that he has no plans to play in the next World Cup after helping his nation clinch the prestigious title in Qatar last year.
The forward, who recently confirmed his decision to join MLS side Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, has stated that despite expectations that he could certainly prove invaluable to help Argentina repeat the achievement in 2026, Messi has pooh-poohed expectations that he’ll feature in North America.
The 35-year-old wizard provided seven goals and three assists as Argentina showed their supremacy and clinched the third World Cup title in their colorful football history.
Suggestions have been rife that tArgentina’s success in December last year could effect the Ballon d’Or voting later this year – with Messi again expected to claim the title. Yet, for various reasons, the 7-time award winner has clearly downplayed the importance of winning individual awards in comparison with achievements as a team.
Titan Sports quotes him saying: “Does the Ballon d’Or matter to me? No, it’s no longer important to me.
“I’ve always said, the individual prizes are not what matters to me, but the collective ones are the most important. The most important prize at the moment is the World Cup, the greatest prize for me.”
The next World Cup will be held in 2026 across America, Canada and Mexico – which would be really handy for the Argentine in view of his latest decision to join Beckham’s MLS club Inter Miami. The Argentine ace is now in the process of completing his sensational move to the United States.
In a statement with Mundo Deportivo he affirmed: “I’m not going back to Barça, I’m going to Inter Miami.”
“I made the decision that I’m going to go to Miami. I still haven’t closed it one hundred percent. I’m missing some things but we decided to continue on the path.
“If the Barcelona thing didn’t come out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more in my family,” said Messi.