Lionel Messi has become a name associated with the image of the Argentine national team in the minds of football fans. However, time does not wait for anyone, and Messi has officially announced his retirement from his international playing career in the Argentina national team jersey.
Although it would be a great story if the greatest legend in football history could say goodbye to the pitch at the peak of glory, in reality, the Argentine star closed this journey with a defeat to Spain in the 2026 final.
Many people have questioned whether the 2026 tournament will be the last time he wears the national team jersey – or at least the last time he participates in the World Cup – and indeed, that is the end of his international career.
At the time of the 2030 World Cup, Messi will turn 43, it will be impossible for this player who has won the Ballon d'Or 8 times to continue playing at a high level after the 2026 World Cup – both in Argentina and Inter Miami colors.
As Messi said, he retreated to give the field to a younger generation of players, but it will also remind the South American nation of the last time the national team participated in the World Cup without M10.
Actually, not yet.
The last time Argentina played a full World Cup without Messi was at the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea. This campaign has quietly shown the perfection in terms of the time Messi appeared to support Argentina.
That year, the person leading Argentina was coach Marcelo Bielsa.
In his hands, he owns the generation of veterans Gabriel Batistuta, Claudio Caniggia, Diego Simeone, mature factors such as Javier Zanetti, Hernan Crespo, Ariel Ortega, Roberto Ayala, Juan Sebastian Veron, Claudio Lopez, Kily Gonzalez, Juan Pablo Sorin, or Walter Samuel, Pablo Aimar are still young players.
Argentina is in Group F with England, Nigeria and Sweden. La Albiceleste started the 2002 World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Nigeria thanks to Batistuta's only goal in the 63rd minute.
The situation began to become worse when Argentina faced England in the second match of the group stage.
Right before the first half ended, Mauricio Pochettino - who is currently the head coach of the US team - fouled Michael Owen when this player was dribbling in the penalty area, thereby giving David Beckham a penalty.
The English star succeeded, scored the only goal of the match and dealt a painful blow to Argentina - a decisive defeat that marked their journey in the tournament.
La Albiceleste's last group stage match is a clash with Sweden. To have the biggest chance of reaching the knockout stage, Argentina must win.
Playing dominantly, launching many shots, but Argentina could not score.
At the beginning of the second half, Matias Almeyda fouled Tobias Linderoth right near the penalty area of the South American representative. Midfielder Anders Svensson took a beautiful free kick, sending the ball curling into the top right corner of Argentina's goal.
It was not until the 88th minute, in a penalty situation, that Crespo rushed in to volley, equalizing 1-1, but that effort was too late.
The next day, England and Nigeria drew 0-0. This result meant that Argentina ranked 3rd in Group F (4 points), 1 point behind Sweden and England, thereby being eliminated from the group stage for the first time since 1962.
In 2006, Messi debuted at the World Cup, but it was not until 2022 that he could relieve the pressure for himself and the 36-year wait of this South American national football.
Right now, Argentinians must have felt a storm when looking to 2030.
