Lionel Messi Eyes Another Major Tournament Amid Challenges
Lionel Messi is staring at another major international tournament with the calm of a man who has seen it all and the edge of one who still refuses to let anything go.
Speaking on YouTube with host Pollo Alvarez, the Argentina captain acknowledged what every national team coach already knows: the world champions are battered, short of rhythm in places, and still terrifying when they come together.
"There are a lot of guys who are dealing with injuries or a lack of match fitness," Messi admitted. "But the truth is that when the group is together it has been proven that it competes and always wants to win."
That, in a sentence, is the modern Argentina: imperfect, bruised, but relentlessly competitive.
Respect for France, and a crowded field
Messi has dragged Inter Miami into must-watch status in Major League Soccer, yet his eyes remain fixed on the global picture. Asked about the favorites for the next World Cup, he did not hesitate.
"As of today, France are in great shape again. They have a ton of top-level players," he said of the side Argentina beat in that unforgettable 2022 final in Qatar.
The respect is real. That night in Lusail settled nothing permanently between the two nations. It simply guaranteed that any future clash will feel like a heavyweight rematch.
France are not alone on his radar. Messi pointed to Spain and Brazil, two countries with enough technical quality and depth to trouble anyone over a month-long tournament. He described Portugal as "very competitive" and underlined that Germany and England, however turbulent their cycles may look from the outside, always arrive as genuine threats.
The message was clear: Argentina might be champions, but the field is stacked.
No expiry date
Messi will turn 39 in June. The tournament, set for June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada, is creeping closer, yet he has not officially confirmed his participation.
He is not talking like a man ready to walk away.
"I love playing football, and I'm going to do it until I can't anymore," he said, a line that lands with more weight when you remember what he has already done. Last season he collected MLS Most Valuable Player honors, powered Inter Miami to the title and led the league in goals. The hunger clearly survived the medals, the parades, and the World Cup coronation.
"I'm competitive," he added. "I like to win at everything ... I don't even let my son win at video games."
That last detail sounds like a joke until you remember how he plays. Every sprint, every press, every dead-ball moment carries the same obsession that has defined his career.
Argentina may be patchwork at times, their stars managing minutes and muscles, their captain edging toward 40. But as long as Messi still refuses to lose — even in front of a console at home — who really believes he is finished with the biggest stage?
