In the preview of the friendly match against Australia on the FIFA date, Lionel Messi He made statements that will not please all fans of the Argentina team, and certainly his supporters as well. Speaking to the Chinese press, the captain of the Albiceleste spoke about the goals he has achieved in recent months. With that in mind, he said Qatar 2022 could certainly have been his last World Cup and therefore he would not make it to 2026.
The current Inter Miami soccer player assured that he is at a stage in his life where he doesn’t care about winning the title golden ball, because for him the group performance is more important than the individual performance. Regarding the 2026 World Cup that will be held in USA, Canada and Mexico, Lionel Messi stressed that he would like to see it as he would not be taking part.
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What did Lionel Messi say about the 2026 World Cup?
“Having achieved the World Cup, which I missed, I’m satisfied and grateful for my career and that’s the most important thing for me,” Lionel Messi said initially on Chinese television. Then he added: “Like I said, I don’t think I’ll be going to the next World Cup. I haven’t changed my mind about it. I’d love to be there to see it, but I’m not going to do it.”
When asked about that golden ball, the Argentina team’s captain remarked that the World Cup was his greatest prize. “Balloon d’Or? No, at this stage of my life it is no longer important to me. I’ve always said it’s not about the individual prizes, but about the collective ones. The most important prize of all.” The moment is the Copa del World. That’s the biggest prize for me,” he concluded.
When is Argentina vs. Australia?
The international friendly match between Argentina and Australia will be played on Thursday, June 15 at 5:00 a.m. (Peruvian time) and 7:00 a.m. (Argentina time) at the Workers Stadium in Beijing. TyC Sports and TV Pública will be responsible for broadcasting.