BUENOS AIRES (AP) 鈥� Argentina has bitter memories of 1994, the last time the United States hosted the World Cup.
After the second group stage match, national icon was expelled from the tournament due to a positive doping test. Maradona would never play another World Cup match, and Argentina was eliminated in the round of 16.
Thirty-two years later, the South American powerhouse is hoping for a happier ending for Maradona鈥檚 heir, , who is turning 39 this month and is widely expected to retire from international soccer after the curtain comes down on the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.
If he and Argentina manage to keep the World Cup trophy they won four years ago in Qatar, they will become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Brazil in 1962. It would also strengthen the claim of those who already call Messi the greatest player of all time.
鈥淚 love playing football and I鈥檓 going to do it until I can鈥檛 anymore,鈥� Messi told Argentine broadcast journalist Joaqu铆n 鈥淧ollo鈥� 脕lvarez in a YouTube interview. “I鈥檓 competitive, I like to win at everything, I don鈥檛 even let my kids win at video games sometimes. It鈥檚 just my nature and what led me to achieve everything I have.鈥�
After more than 20 years playing for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, Messi鈥檚 body is showing signs of wear. A week ahead of what will be his record sixth World Cup, he is recovering from a hamstring problem that led to his substitution during Inter Miami鈥檚 final match before the tournament on May 24.
The Argentina captain worked out on his own at the team’s base camp in Kansas City this week.
鈥淲e all would have liked Messi to arrive without any problems, but that鈥檚 not the case. Not only him, most of the players aren鈥檛 fully recovered yet,鈥� Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told DSports, a Latin American TV network.
Multiple players in the squad are facing fitness concerns
Goalkeeper , hero of two penalty shootouts in 2022, including the final against France, suffered a fracture to the ring finger of his right hand during the while playing for Aston Villa.
Defender Cristian 鈥淐uti鈥� Romero is recovering from a knee injury he picked up in mid-April while playing for Tottenham. Right backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are dealing with muscle injuries as is midfielder Leandro Paredes.
Argentina, also champion in 1978 and 1986, will play its first group stage match on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City. Next up in Group J are Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27 in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas.
Scaloni is relying on 17 of the 26 players who won the World Cup in 2022, even though several are not in peak physical condition.
鈥淲hy change them if they don鈥檛 deserve that? We鈥檝e always been honest with them. The players who are here today have shown us they want to be here. And secondly, their level hasn鈥檛 dropped,鈥� Scaloni said.
Argentina won the Copa Am茅rica in 2024 and finished top of the South American World Cup qualifying group.
Atletico Madrid forward Juli谩n 脕lvarez is key to Scaloni鈥檚 attack, while Barcelona, Arsenal, and PSG are reportedly vying for his signature for next season. The coach has also brought in three debutants: midfielder Valent铆n Barco, who recently signed for Chelsea, and forwards Nicol谩s Paz, a key player for Como in Italy, and Juan Manuel L贸pez, the top scorer for Brazilian club Palmeiras.
A notable absence compared to four years ago is 脕ngel Di Mar铆a, who retired from the national team in 2024. Besides Messi, he was instrumental in Argentina鈥檚 success in Qatar.
鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to fill Di Mar铆a鈥檚 shoes. He and Messi are irreplaceable,鈥� Scaloni said.
A future without Messi is hard to imagine
Always soft-spoken, Messi has tried to lower expectations of another World Cup title.
鈥淲e have to get excited, like Argentines always do, but we also have to know that there are other favorites ahead of us who are in better form,鈥� he said.
Messi already holds the record for most World Cup matches (26) and needs four more goals to surpass Germany鈥檚 Miroslav Klose鈥檚 record of 16 World Cup goals.
While he hasn’t explicitly said he will retire from the national team after the World Cup, he dropped a big hint last September when he talked about the team’s qualifying match against Venezuela in Buenos Aires as his last competitive home game for Argentina.
鈥淚t was very emotional, knowing this was my last competitive match here,鈥� he said after the game at the Monumental Stadium. 鈥淚’ve been through a lot in this stadium 鈥� some great moments and some difficult ones 鈥� but it’s always special to play in front of our fans.鈥�
Scaloni, like most Argentines, also gets emotional when thinking about a national team without Messi.
鈥淚 like to think he鈥檚 going to keep playing because otherwise you get sad, like what happened with Diego (Maradona),鈥� Scaloni said in an interview published on the website of South American soccer confederation CONMEBOL. 鈥淭hey are players who have made history in football and thinking that they won鈥檛 play anymore doesn鈥檛 leave you at peace. I prefer to think about the present.鈥�
___
AP World Cup coverage:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
