Lionel Messi open to playing in 2026 World Cup

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni would love to see the superstar -- who is one of only six players to compete in five World Cups -- suit up for the next World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

PSG's Lionel Messi gestures during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Reims at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

After hoisting his first World Cup trophy with Argentina in December, Lionel Messi said that tournament would be his last, but now it appears he's open to the possibility of playing in the 2026 event.

"Because of age it'll be difficult to make 2026," Messi, 35, told Diario Ole, a sports newspaper in Argentina. "I love playing football and while I feel like I'm in good shape and enjoying this, I'm going to keep at it. It seems like a long time until the next World Cup, but it depends on how my career is going."