Lionel Messi isn't selling false hope. Asked about Argentina's chances of winning back-to-back World Cups, he backed his side — then immediately flagged who he thinks is ahead of them.
"As of today, France are in great shape again. They have a ton of top-level players," Messi said in a YouTube interview. He also tipped Spain, called Brazil a threat, described Portugal as "very competitive", and acknowledged that Germany and England are never to be ignored. That's a lot of names before Argentina's own.
A champion's honest assessment
This isn't false modesty. Messi knows Argentina have real problems heading into the tournament — injuries, players short of match fitness — and he said so directly. What he also said is that when the group gets together, something clicks. That's been true since 2021. Whether it holds through a summer in North America is the question.
The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Messi will be 39 by then. He hasn't officially confirmed he'll be there, which is the kind of thing that should be sending Argentine supporters into quiet panic — though his words suggest he has no plans to stop.
"I love playing football, and I'm going to do it until I can't anymore," he said. At Inter Miami last season, he won MLS MVP, led the league in goals, and dragged the club to the title. The body is holding up.
What this means for the betting picture
Argentina remain one of the short-priced favorites for 2026, and that price is largely built on Messi's name and the 2022 momentum. But his own words suggest the market might be a touch generous. France — who Argentina beat in that extraordinary Qatar final — are rebuilt and dangerous. Spain are European champions. If you're assessing where the value actually sits, Messi himself just made the case that it isn't automatically with his team.
"I don't even let my son win at video games," he added. The competitive drive is clearly intact. Whether Argentina's squad depth matches it come next summer is a different conversation entirely.
