Lionel Messi made it a goalscoring farewell as he played what appears likely to be his final Argentina match in his homeland in a 3-0 win over Venezuela, but again refused to say whether he will help them defend the World Cup at the 2026 finals.
Messi was on target twice for Argentina in his 194th cap for his country, with his goals sandwiched by a 76th minute effort from Lautaro Martinez.
The man many consider the greatest of all time is unlikely to play for Argentina beyond their title defence next year, and was tearful as he made his home swansong in Buenos Aires.
Speaking afterwards he said: “Being able to finish this way here is what I’ve always dreamed of.
“I’ve experienced a lot of things on this pitch, both good and not so good, but it’s always a joy to play in Argentina, in front of our fans.”
Messi remains unsure on World Cup
Messi finally experienced World Cup glory in 2022 as he beat France on penalties in a thrilling final that ended 3-3 after extra time.
The 38-year-old has previously said he will only feature at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico if he feels physically fit.
And he reiterated that message on Thursday.
“Same as I said before about the World Cup that I don’t think I’ll play another,” Messi explained.
“Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it. But well, we’re almost there so I’m excited and motivated to play it. Like I always say, I go day by day, match by match. That’s it, taking it day by day, going by how I feel.
“Day by day, trying to feel good and above all, being honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it, but when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good. So we’ll see. I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.
“Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then I’ll have preseason, and there will be six months left. So we’ll see how I feel. Hopefully I’ll have a good preseason in 2026 and finish this MLS season well and then I’ll decide.”
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay book World Cup spots
The automatic qualifiers for the World Cup from CONMEBOL are now all confirmed after Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay booked their places in the finals.
Uruguay and Colombia claimed 3-0 wins over Peru and Bolivia respectively, while a goalless draw with Ecuador was enough for Paraguay to ensure their first appearance since 2010.
“It’s a good way to qualify. The team’s offensive play was strong, there were also many highlights in individual performances,” Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said.
The results mean Venezuela and Bolivia go into the final round of matches with just one point separating them as they battle for the interconfederation play-off spot.
Seventh-placed Venezuela host Colombia, while eighth-placed Bolivia take on Brazil at home on Tuesday.
