Will Lionel Messi play FIFA World Cup 2026? He says 'At worst, I’ll be watching...'

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is about six months away and defending champions Argentina's star player Lionel Messi hasn't confirmed his participation yet. In the last event, Messi finally guided the team to glory while winning his maiden World Cup as well. The 38-year-old, however, still hasn't denied or confirmed about playing in the upcoming edition. In a latest interview, Messi although said that the team is capable of defending the title irrespective of his participation in the tournament.

Messi spills beans on playing FIFA World Cup 2026

“I hope I can be there. I’ve said before that I’d love to be there,” said Messi in an interview with ESPN. “At worst, I’ll be there watching it live, but it will be special,” he added. The footballer had previously said that he'll play if his body holds up for the tournament which begins June 29. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.

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Messi, however, acknowledged that the national coach Lionel Scaloni wants him around the team even if not playing. “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 said.

US announces new visa system for FIFA fans

In anticipation of the large numbers of fans coming to the USA for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Trump administrations has announced a new visa system to expedite the requests of ticket holders. The new system, however, does not guarantee a visa, clarified the admin. Under the new FIFA prioritized appointment scheduling system announced on November 17, the fans with tickets to the US-hosted game will get priority appointment for the visas at the embassies world wide.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played in 16 cities across the US, Canada and Mexico with 11 of those 16 venues being in the United States.