New Delhi: Former star midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme does not doubt that Lionel Messi will lead Argentina in the 2026 World Cup as he continues to "reinvent himself" at Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
After going trophyless with Argentina for a decade, Messi got his hands on his first trophy with Argentina in 2021. Under Messi's leadership, Argentina lifted their 15th Copa America trophy.
In 2022 in Qatar, Messi realised his ultimate dream by guiding La Albiceleste to the World Cup trophy in a nail-biting thriller against France.
In summer 2024, Messi and his side successfully defended their Copa America title with a 1-0 win over Colombia.
There are still uncertainties looming around Messi's participation in the marquee event in 2026. His former teammate Riquelme backed the 37-year-old to grace the global stage for the sixth time.
"Messi is reinventing himself. You never know what he can do. And I have no doubt that he will play in the next World Cup, he has to play. We will all be rooting for him to play. I don't tease him too much, but we talk a lot. That's why I think he's going to play. He's very good, it's something that's not normal. And to that, he adds that he really likes to compete. He's won a lot, and he still wants to keep winning," Riquelme said on the AZZ channel, as quoted from Goal.com.
Messi was sitting on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury in the Copa America final in July. He made a triumphant return to the field after a long injury layoff on Saturday.
He scored a brace in Inter Miami's 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union in the MLS. He will return to action against Atlanta United in another Eastern Conference fixture on Thursday.
In 2024, Messi has played 13 matches and has 24 goal contributions for Inter Miami. He has netted 14 goals and registered 10 assists.
—ANI