Historic: in 2026, Messi, first Argentine to play six World Cups | OneFootball

Two decades after his debut on football’s biggest stage, Lionel Messi is once again writing an unprecedented chapter in the history books. By being part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Rosario-born star officially becomes the first Argentine footballer to reach six World Cup appearances.

Two decades of absolute excellence

The journey of the “10” began in Germany 2006 and continued through South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and total glory in Qatar 2022, where he lifted the long-awaited trophy. Twenty years after those first steps, the Albiceleste captain not only expands his personal legend, but also takes the fields of North America holding the record as the player with the most matches played in World Cup history.

The turning point and the golden era

The CONMEBOL publication highlights that winning the 2021 Copa América at the Maracanã completely transformed Messi’s cycle with the national team shirt. From that turning point on, the captain led the team’s most successful period in recent times, stringing together four consecutive titles of the highest importance:

On the verge of turning 39 in the middle of the competition, the football leader of the reigning world champions takes on a new challenge in the United States, Mexico, and Canada 2026, focused on once again guiding his country in the most demanding tournament on the planet.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.