Argentina captain Lionel Messi has refused to rule out playing at the 2030 FIFA World Cup after becoming the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer.
The 39-year-old left the door open to a possible appearance at the centenary edition of the tournament after taking his World Cup tally to 18 goals at the ongoing 2026 finals.
Messi set the record with a brace in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria, moving past former Germany striker Miroslav Klose’s previous mark of 16 goals.
Asked about the possibility of playing at the 2030 World Cup, Messi said he was not thinking that far ahead but would continue as long as he remained physically capable of helping his team.
Messi said: “I don’t know. The truth is, I’m not thinking about that right now. It seems a bit far off but, as I said, I’m living one day at a time and focused on the present.”
He added: “Yes, yes… I will continue for some time, as long as I can contribute, feel good physically, and help my teammates… I will keep playing.”
Messi has been central to Argentina’s strong start to the 2026 World Cup, scoring all five of the team’s goals in their opening two group matches against Algeria and Austria.
His campaign began with a hat-trick against Algeria before he struck twice against Austria to send Argentina into the Round of 32 and establish himself as the outright top scorer in World Cup history.
Reflecting on the record-breaking night against Austria, Messi admitted the manner of it all unfolding had been special, especially after he missed a penalty earlier in the game.
“The truth is that it is spectacular how it happened,” he said. “Today I had the penalty that I could have increased the score with, but if I had scored the penalty, perhaps I wouldn’t have scored the other two. “You never know, but I’m happy with the result.”
Messi’s latest milestone has further strengthened his legacy on football’s biggest stage, with the veteran forward continuing to defy age as Argentina pursue another world title.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is featuring at his sixth World Cup and remains the driving force of the defending champions’ campaign in North America.
