“I couldn’t be happier to play here with the Argentina national team in my homeland. I’m as happy as a child. The fans were calling my name throughout the match,” Messi said happily after Argentina beat Bolivia 6-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on October 16.

In this match, Messi scored a hat-trick and had 2 assists for Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez to score. The remaining goal was scored by Thiago Almada. This was also the match, Messi returned to Argentina to play for the first time after 334 days.

According to Marca (Spain), the fact that Messi is happy and still shining in the Argentina national team shirt shows that this famous player will still accompany his teammates to the 2026 World Cup. This is great news for Argentina fans and fans around the world.

Messi also expressed: “I do not set any final match date for the team. I just want to enjoy and feel everyone’s love, because I know that every match now can be the last match. For now, I want to end the year (2024) well and witness the step-by-step progress of the current team.”

In another interview, also after Argentina’s win over Bolivia, a reporter asked: “People here and all over the world love you so much, when you play for the national team. So, stay until the 2026 World Cup.”

“I know people love me and chant my name every time I play for the national team. This is a blessing. As I mentioned before, the next World Cup will be my last World Cup. I will definitely stay,” Messi added with a smile.

Messi also highly appreciated the new elements of the Argentina team, such as young player Nico Paz (20 years old), who made his debut and created the opportunity for Messi to score the decisive goal in the 6-0 win over Bolivia.

“He’s a great guy. Nico Paz is developing very well, and under the guidance of a coach I know very well (Cesc Fabregas at Como in Italy, Messi’s former teammate and close friend when they played together at Barcelona). Despite his age, Nico Paz had an impressive debut. I hope he continues to develop and always plays well when he returns to the national team,” Messi said.

Meanwhile, Messi also regretted another young player on the rise of the Argentina team, striker Valentin Carboni (19 years old) who suffered a serious injury and will be out for the rest of the season: “This is unfortunate, Carboni is developing very well, but has to take a long-term break. We send all our support to him, and hope Carboni will return soon. As said, the opportunity has opened up for Nico Paz. But in the long run, they will be important players in the future of the Argentina team.”