“I’d love to be there” – Lionel Messi on playing 2026 World Cup, explains why Pep Guardiola is the best | OneFootball

Barcelona and Argentina legend Lionel Messi has opened up on his chances of being at the 2026 World Cup with the Albiceleste, as well as explaining why he feels Pep Guardiola is the best manager around. The Inter Miami star is in the Major League Soccer final, as they seek their first ever MLS Cup against Vancouver Whitecaps.

Messi, who has admitted that he could return to live in Barcelona after his career, is a sore point for the Blaugrana, with the fans never having had a chance to bid farewell to their greatest ever player. Things ended on bad terms with arguably their best ever manager too, Pep Guardiola, who left after falling out with the board.

Speaking to ESPN, Messi explained why he felt that Guardiola was the best manager around.

“For me, Guardiola is unique. There are extraordinarily good coaches, but he has something different. For me, he’s the best of all of them. The way he sees things, prepares matches, communicates… for me he’s the best.”

“We were lucky that we all coincided at Barcelona – him and all of us. He had the pieces he needed for what he wanted. Then he went somewhere else and kept winning. It’s not just winning; it’s how his teams play. He did it at Bayern, he did it at City.”

“Even though he didn’t win the Champions League at Bayern, he changed the way football was played in Germany, where they were used to a different style. In England he did the same… He not only changes a team, he changes how the whole league plays.

How Guardiola improved Messi

The 38-year-old was managed by Guardiola from the age of 21 to 25, in what was perhaps his most successful spell as a player at club level. Messi explained how the symbiosis between the two developed.

“From the beginning we had a great relationship. Pep was very close, we talked a lot, and I learned an enormous amount from him. I added more things to my game on top of what I already knew. I learned a lot with him – how to move, how to read spaces.

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“He was even the one who put me as a false nine; in Barcelona’s youth teams I played behind the striker. That was really my position. Even when I debuted with [Frank] Rijkaard and later with Pep, they placed me as a winger, but I had never really played there. But I kept adding things to my game and kept growing football-wise as well.”

Messi on his chances of making the 2026 World Cup

Messi also explained that he would not be present for a potential Finalissima between Spain and Argentina in March. He would be coming into the game during Inter Miami’s preseason, and would not be fit to play in his eyes. He did admit to discussing a potential World Cup appearance with manager Lionel Scaloni.

“The truth is we’ve been talking about it. He [Scaloni] understands, and we’ve discussed it a lot. He always tells me that he would like me to be there in any role. We have a relationship of great trust and we can talk about everything.”

“But being honest, having a preseason in the middle changes everything for me. It’s like starting a new season from scratch, and having a preseason in the middle will help me a lot because European players arrive to finals with a ton of matches in their legs, like always. Except for Qatar, which was midseason, and many felt better because they had less load.”

Image via BeIn Sports

He did finish by hinting that he did desire to be there.

“I hope I can be there. I’ve said before that I’d love to be there. At worst, I’ll be there watching it live, but it will be special. The World Cup is special for everyone, for any country – especially for us, because we live it in a completely different way.”

In September, Messi featured in what many believed was his final game for Argentina on home soil. El Monumental paid homage to Messi in emotional scenes, which reduced the veteran star to tears. If Messi does make it to the World Cup, that will almost certainly be his final showing on the international stage.