Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentina Football Association, stated on August 7, 2026, that Lionel Messi will independently decide when to end his football career. "It’s a decision that is purely and personally his. You have to let him relax," Tapia said, emphasizing that Messi should be allowed to enjoy playing without external pressure [1].
Messi turned 39 on June 24, 2026, just two days after scoring twice against Austria in the 2026 World Cup group stage. He has not publicly indicated any plans for retirement from international play or his current club, Inter Miami in Major League Soccer [1, 2, 3, 4].
Tapia praised Messi's performance at the 2026 World Cup, calling it "a great version – if not the best – of Leo in a World Cup," noting the forward’s eight goals and four assists for Argentina during the tournament [2]. He said Messi "was the standard-bearer of this group in the World Cup" and "break records match after match," highlighting his role as arguably the best player in the competition [4].
Messi broke Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16 career World Cup goals during the event. Despite this milestone, Kylian Mbappe surpassed Messi’s total by finishing the tournament with 22 goals [1, 2, 4].
Argentina reached the final but lost 1-0 to Spain in extra time in the United States-hosted World Cup [1, 2, 4]. Other veteran players included Cristiano Ronaldo, who competed at age 41, while the oldest non-goalkeeper to ever appear in a World Cup match remains Roger Milla at 42 years and 39 days [1, 2, 3, 4].
Looking ahead, Messi would turn 43 during the 2030 World Cup, scheduled to be hosted jointly by Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay [1, 2, 3, 4]. No decision has been made about whether he will continue playing until then.
Tapia concluded by saying, "You have to let him keep enjoying playing football and after that he’ll make the decision he feels is the right one," reaffirming Messi’s autonomy over his career timeline [2].
