When the final whistle blew in Qatar, Lionel Messi fell to his knees in a state of catharsis. It took a penalty shootout against France, but he had finally led Argentina to a FIFA World Cup title, one of the few trophies he’d not won through his career.

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has yet to decide whether he intends to suit up for Argentina as the country looks to defend its World Cup title in the 2026 tournament

"They put themselves in a position of having a rivalry with us that doesn't really exist," the Argentina captain commented in an interview with the program Simplemente Fútbol, ​​broadcast on YouTube. "There's no comparison between Argentina and Mexico, and I don't know where that came from."