Argentina Manager Lionel Scaloni Backs Lionel Messi to Keep Playing Until 2026 World Cup

• Lionel Scaloni says he wants to see Lionel Messi play at the 2026 World Cup tournament with Argentina
• Messi and Scaloni helped guide Argentina to winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the country’s third time
• Messi has scored 98 goals in 172 appearances for the Argentina national team since his debut in 2005

Argentina's manager Lionel Scaloni is confident newly crowned World’s best player Lionel Messi will play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has been touted to retire from international football after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with Argentina.

According to Football Espana, Scaloni has revealed he hopes the Paris Saint-Germain superstar keeps playing as Argentina will always leave the door open for him.

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“Will he continue in the National Team? We have the door open for him and if we see no, we’ll look for an alternative. I hope he makes it to the next World Cup, I can see him there, but I think the first thing is to qualify.”

Messi is set to hit a century of goals for Argentina if he keeps playing for the World champions having already netted a remarkable 98 goals in 172 appearances for his country.

The key to Messi’s return to Argentina

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s could not only return to play for the Argentine national team, but the PSG superstar could also return to play in the local league with Newell’s Old Boys, AS Sport reports.

Messi remains in talks over a new deal at PSG but the whole of Argentina, and his Argentine boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys dream of the 35-year-old forward returning home.

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A charity match organized by Messi’s former Argentina teammate Maxi Rodríguez due to take place at Newell’s home ground next summer could be key to convincing the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to return home.

Messi wins FIFA Best player award

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Lionel Messi has been crowned the 2022 FIFA Best Player of the Year at the awards ceremony held in Paris, France, on Monday, February 27, 2023.

The legendary Argentina forward beat Paris Saint Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to win the top award.

Messi led Argentina to a third World Cup triumph in Qatar after netting in all the knockout games, including a brace in the final against France.