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Is this Lionel Messi’s swan song?
The 39-year-old superstar striker is in the midst of his sixth World Cup with Argentina (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026), with the country being the reigning World Cup (2022) and Copa América (2024) champions. Argentina will face England on Wednesday afternoon in the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup.
Regarding Messi, the Argentine legend said in June that he would continue playing until he “can’t take it anymore.” Asked about his participation in the 2030 World Cup, Messi said he would play “as long as he can contribute, feel good physically and help his teammates.”
In Argentina’s six matches at the 2026 World Cup, Messi has totaled eight goals – which is tied with French star Kylian Mbappé for the most in the tournament – and two assists. Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s June 16 win over Algeria and a brace in the June 22 win over Austria. He scored in five of the team’s six matches.
In the six World Cups he played for Argentina, Messi racked up a total of 21 goals and eight assists.
In addition to playing for the Argentina national team, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and 13-time National League champion has spent the last four seasons with Inter Miami in MLS (he appeared in six games in 2023), averaging 24.5 goals and 13.5 assists per season from 2024 to 2025, while accumulating 12 goals and seven assists in 14 games so far in 2026; the current MLS season was interrupted during the World Cup. Messi and Inter Miami won the 2025 MLS championship.
Messi and Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo are the only two players to have appeared in six World Cups.
How to watch England vs Argentina
