Argentina won't push Lionel Messi for decision on his soccer future
Argentina will not push Lionel Messi for a decision on his future, including at Copa America, football association president Claudio Tapia said.
Argentina's Football Association president, Claudio Tapia, has stated that the association will not pressure Lionel Messi to decide on his future with the national team, including his participation in the 2028 Copa America and 2030 World Cup. According to Tapia, Messi's decision is a personal one, and the association must respect his choice. In 2022, Messi had said that he would approach the 2026 World Cup one game at a time, and Tapia believes that Argentina has seen Messi's best performance in a World Cup.
Messi, who is 39 years old, did not speak to the media after Argentina's loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup Final. The Argentine coach, Lionel Scaloni, also expressed uncertainty about Messi's return to the national team. Messi, who ranks second in goals scored in World Cup history with 21, was reportedly heartbroken after the tournament and hinted that this might be his last World Cup.
Messi, who is set to turn 41 in June 2028, had previously hinted that the 2022 World Cup might be his last. However, at the 2026 World Cup, Messi and his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, became the first two players in history to appear in six editions of the tournament. Messi scored eight goals in the 2026 World Cup, which helped Argentina reach the second consecutive World Cup Final.
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