"We proposed a double shift for ourselves and we give it our all." That's Rodrigo De Paul, describing the training routine he and Lionel Messi have been running for the past two to three months — on top of everything Inter Miami already asks of them.
At 38, chasing a second World Cup, Messi isn't winding down. He's adding sessions.
What the regime actually looks like
Speaking to Lo del Pollo, De Paul spelled it out: the two Argentina internationals have a dedicated training plan that runs beyond their standard club commitments, with a personal trainer and a deliberate focus on peak physical condition before the tournament. Double shifts. Daily. This isn't a story about a star phoning it in through his late 30s — it's the opposite.
And the numbers back it up. Messi has scored 12 goals in 12 MLS appearances this season, adding six assists. In Inter Miami's most recent outing, a 2-0 win over Portland Timbers, he contributed a goal and an assist. Miami sit second in the table, 28 points from 15 games, two points behind Nashville.
What this means beyond the feelgood headline
Argentina head into 2026 as defending champions and one of the tournament favourites. Messi's fitness is the single biggest variable in their chances — not tactics, not squad depth. If he arrives at the tournament in the kind of shape De Paul is describing, their odds of going back-to-back look very different than if he's managing minutes and nursing a tired body through group stages.
For any market built around Argentina's progression or Messi's individual output, this is genuinely relevant information. A 38-year-old voluntarily running double training sessions two to three months before a World Cup is not standard behaviour. It's a statement of intent.
"We kill ourselves to reach the best physical shape," De Paul said. At this point, there's no reason to doubt him.
