I’m going to say something that in Argentina is the equivalent of sporting heresy: Lionel Messi shouldn’t go to the 2026 World Cup. And taking him could be the decision that costs Argentina the back-to-back title.
Take a breath. I’m not saying Messi isn’t the greatest player in history. He is. I’m not saying Qatar 2022 wasn’t magical. It was. I’m saying a 38-year-old player who has spent three seasons in MLS shouldn’t have a guaranteed spot on the squad defending the world title. And if that offends you, it’s probably because you know I have a point.
The numbers don’t lie (even if you want them to)
Messi at Inter Miami has been good. He’s been MLS’s best player, which is like being the best student in a remedial class. The goals and assists numbers are impressive until you look at the context: defenders who don’t press, midfields that don’t close passing lanes, and a competitive level several steps below the Champions League or even Europe’s top leagues.
When did Messi last face Champions-level defenses consistently? 2023. Three years ago. At a World Cup where he’ll need to get past Germany’s center-backs, Spain’s midfield or France’s press, MLS isn’t adequate preparation.
The tactical problem: Scaloni has to choose
When Messi is on the pitch, everything revolves around him. It’s inevitable. He has that gravity that makes teammates and opponents react to him. But at 38, that gravity comes with a cost: Messi no longer presses, no longer covers 10km per match, and needs the team to adapt to his limitations.
Argentina with Messi is a team that defends with ten and attacks waiting for the genius to invent something. Argentina without Messi — with Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández, Garnacho and the explosion of Echeverri — is a younger, more intense, more dynamic team. A team that can press high for 90 minutes, that can rotate without losing quality, that can run in the Texas heat without breaking down by the 60th minute.
Scaloni has to choose between sentimentality and competitiveness. And everything suggests he’ll choose sentimentality.
The precedent: Maradona in 1994
The comparison is uncomfortable but unavoidable. Maradona went to the 1994 World Cup in the United States as an established legend, with the whole country expecting another heroic act. Argentina played well in the first two matches — Maradona scored against Greece and celebrated with that iconic face-at-the-camera image. Then he tested positive in a drugs test and was expelled from the tournament. Argentina, without their emotional leader, collapsed.
I’m not comparing circumstances, but the pattern: when you build a team around a player who can’t sustain that weight throughout a full tournament, the risk of collapse is enormous. If Messi gets injured in the second match, or simply doesn’t have the legs for an intense round of 16, Argentina is left without a plan B because they never rehearsed one.
”But he’s Messi, he can change a match in a moment”
True. It’s also true that moments of genius are less frequent at 38 than at 34. In Qatar, Messi had supernatural performances — against Mexico, against Croatia, in the final. But he also had moments where the team carried him, where Di María and Mac Allister did the dirty work so Leo could shine. Di María isn’t there anymore. Mac Allister has three more years of wear on him.
Messi can change a match. But he can no longer change a tournament. And in a 48-team World Cup, with more matches, more travel and more physical demand, you need eleven players who can last, not ten plus a genius for half an hour.
What should happen (and won’t)
Messi should go to the World Cup as an ambassador, as a legend, as inspiration from the bench. He should be the player who comes on in the 70th minute of a tight quarterfinal, with fresh legs and intact magic. Not the untouchable starter who conditions the lineup, the rotations and the tactical system of the entire squad.
But it won’t happen. Argentina will take Messi as a starter, will build the team around him, and will pray that a 38-year-old’s body holds up for seven matches in a month. Sometimes it works. Most of the time, it doesn’t.
If you want to understand how Argentina plays beyond Messi, read the tactical analysis of Scaloni. And if you think Colombia could be the tournament’s surprise, we have the take. More at the World Cup 2026 hub.