MIAMI — When Argentina’s Lionel Messi won the 2022 World Cup and the Golden Ball, people said, ‘Wow, what a great international career. Now he can rest.’ When he came back two years later and won the 2024 Copa América, people said, ‘Wow, what a international great career. Now he can rest.’
Nobody is more surprised than Messi himself to be back on the international stage, rather than cozying up on the couch with a soft blanket and steaming cup of yerba mate. The world wasn’t even sure if he would play in the 2026 World Cup until manager Lionel Scaloni’s final roster came out just days before the group stage—the star forward had been reluctant to commit and likely didn’t even know if he was up for the task.
