Lionel Messi, the celebrated Argentine footballer, has not ruled out the possibility of participating in the 2030 FIFA World Cup, a tournament set to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. The 39-year-old star, who recently celebrated his birthday, made the remarks after Argentina secured a place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup. "We'll see what happens," Messi stated when pressed about his potential involvement in 2030.
This statement marks a shift from his earlier declarations of not playing in the 2030 tournament. Messi's career has been marked by defying expectations, including his emotional departure from his boyhood club, Barcelona, and his continued strong performance on the international stage. He has been a key goalscorer for Argentina in the current World Cup, following up an opening-day hat-trick with two goals against Austria. With these recent contributions, Messi has also become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose.
In recognition of his achievements, an 85-foot statue of Messi has been erected in Cutral Co, a town in Patagonia, Argentina. The sculpture, created by local artist Aldo Beroisa over 18 months, depicts Messi on his knees in the moment after Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty in the 2022 World Cup final shootout against France. Beroisa described the project as significant, calling Messi "Argentina's natural ambassador."
The statue also shows Messi clutching an Argentina shirt and pointing skyward, a gesture often made in tribute to his late grandmother. This is not the first time Messi has been immortalized in statue form; a 70-foot figure was previously unveiled in Kolkata, India, but had to be relocated due to concerns about its stability.
Messi's team celebrated his recent birthday with a video of squad members presenting him with gifts. Argentina, having qualified for the next stage of the 2026 World Cup, is preparing to face Jordan to secure the top spot in Group J.