3 min readUpdated: Apr 1, 2026 10:39 PM IST
Lionel Messi may be 38 but he showed that he can still be the life of Argentina’s attack on Tuesday at La Bombonera in their 5-0 win over Zambia in a friendly match. Messi set up the opening goal for Julian Alvarez before scoring one himself. When head coach Lionel Scaloni was asked if the Argentine great will play at the 2026 World Cup, the former said he wasn’t sure of it but the team will do whatever it can to make sure Messi is “at ease” if he does play.
Scaloni said that Messi has some weight off his shoulder now that he finally has a World Cup title in his back, with Argentina having womn the 2022 edition in Qatar. “It would be a privilege if Leo [Messi] decides to play in the World Cup,” Scaloni said after Argentina’s 5-0 win over Zambia on Tuesday. “We all want him to enjoy it and we’ll do everything we can to help him feel at ease. He wants the same as us; he’s more relaxed now because he’s already won a World Cup. His desire to be there and share in the experience is there; we’ll see what he decides to do and we’ll support him.” Messi is yet to confirm if he will play in the 2026 World Cup.
Scaloni also backed Messi to reach 1000 career goals. His strike against Zambia was his 116th in international football and 902nd overall in his career. “He could reach 1,000 goals,” said Scaloni. “We’ll have to see how much longer he plays.”
Messi was pretty much the lifeblood of Argentina’s run to the title in 2022, scoring seven goals and finishing as the second highest goalscorer in the tournament after France’s Kylian Mbappe. He scored twice in the thriller of a final against France, in addition to scoring the first penalty kick in the shootout after the match ended 3-3.
Scaloni also warned fans to temper their expectations after Argentina followed up the World Cup win with victory in the 2024 Copa America. They also dominated their qualification route. “It will be a tough World Cup, a very difficult one,” he said. “That’s why it will be crucial for everyone to be in good physical and mental shape.
“What lies ahead at the World Cup is going to be incredibly tough; we need to prepare the players. It’s very difficult to replace certain players — legends of the game — who gave so much for us at the World Cup and the Copa América.”
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