Argentina (National Football)

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi isn't fixated on participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but he didn't entirely rule out a potential appearance.

"When I get to do what I love I am happy," Messi said on Thursday, per ESPN's Lizzy Becherano. "I value that more than reaching the 2026 tournament. I haven't set a goal to reach the World Cup, but more so to live day-to-day and be well."

Argentina is attempting to become the first country to win consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1962 after Messi previously led the team to a victory in 2022.

The 37-year-old played a key role in the triumph over France in the final, winning 4-2 on penalties following a 3-3 draw. Messi scored twice and converted his penalty kick to help Argentina secure the hard-fought victory.

Prior to the tournament in Qatar, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner said that it would "surely" be his last World Cup.

Messi suited up for Argentina in the 2024 Copa América, helping his country wrap up a successful title defense and win a record-breaking 16th Copa title.

He's recently been participating in South American World Cup qualifiers, recording a hat-trick during a 6-0 victory over Bolivia on Tuesday. He also finished with two assists.

Leo Messi added his 58th career hat trick vs. Bolivia 🎩 pic.twitter.com/evx0owsh6k

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 16, 2024

While the legendary footballer appears to be leaving the door open for a potential return, he acknowledged that "I know these can be my last games" after defeating Bolivia and discussed staying in the present (via Becherano).

"In the moment, we will see," Messi said. "I don't like to accelerate time or look ahead. I try to enjoy every day. I hope I can keep playing at this level to feel good and be happy."

As Messi continues to participate in World Cup qualifiers and is also active with MLS club Inter Miami, he's still undecided on a potential return to the World Cup in 2026.

Argentina is once again a Copa América champion after beating Colombia 1-0 on Monday.

The win gives Argentina its 16th Copa América final victory, breaking a tie with Uruguay for the most all-time Copa América titles.

The first 90 minutes plus four minutes of stoppage time wasn't enough to settle an exciting Copa América final as the two teams went into extra time scoreless. The next 30 minutes saw two exhausted teams battle for the lead, and Argentina finally took it in the 111th minute after a goal from Lautaro Martínez, who notched his fifth of the tournament.

ARGENTINA TAKES THE LEAD IN THE 112TH MINUTE 🇦🇷😱

Lautaro Martínez does it again 🔥 pic.twitter.com/i2p4e5Li8U

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 15, 2024

LAUTARO IN THE 112TH MINUTE OF THE COPA AMÉRICA FINAL

It's his 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 goal of the tournament 😤 pic.twitter.com/EGrs2h2oL9

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 15, 2024

Martínez's goal proved to be decisive as Colombia couldn't respond in the final minutes.

It was a bittersweet victory for Argentina, as it had to play most of the match without Lionel Messi, who has been its hero for the last two decades. Messi suffered an injury in the 64th minute and had to watch the remainder of the game from the sideline.

But even without the star, Argentina had just enough to win what could be Messi's final Copa América game.

After the win, fans praised Martínez and Argentina for fighting through the exhaustion to win a second consecutive Copa América final.

ARGENTINA ARE COPA AMÉRICA CHAMPIONS AGAIN 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/gDLNRkCerw

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 15, 2024

THIS IS WHY YOU START YOUR BEST STRIKER.

THIS IS WHY YOU START THE TOURNAMENT TOP GOALSCORER.

LAUTARO MARTÍNEZ. CLUTCH. ⚽️🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/x1rV7oI6q6

— Inter Xtra (@Inter_Xtra) July 15, 2024

https://twitter.com/TheEuropeanLad/status/1812697759373238482

Lautaro Martinez just scored the biggest goal of his life. An extra time goal to maybe win the Copa America.

And the first thing he did was run to hug Messi.https://t.co/kXhqH63vp7

— JAKE BUCKLEY 🇦🇺 (@TheMasterBucks) July 15, 2024

https://twitter.com/tsnmknd/status/1812697937618546837

https://twitter.com/TheEuropeanLad/status/1812700942673859068

ARGENTINA ARE COPA AMERICA CHAMPIONS!!!!! 🥹🥹🥹❤️❤️❤️🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) July 15, 2024

https://twitter.com/TheEuropeanLad/status/1812701077776523447

🏆🇦🇷 ARGENTINA ARE COPA AMÉRICA CHAMPIONS!

Argentina have beaten Colombia 1-0 thanks to Lautaro Martínez’s goal.

🏆 Copa America 2021
🏆 Finalissima 2022
🏆 World Cup 2022
🏆 Copa America 2024

Insane job by this group of players and Lionel Scaloni. 👏🏻✨ pic.twitter.com/v0GOvHv9PS

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 15, 2024

https://twitter.com/TheEuropeanLad/status/1812702001051947430

https://twitter.com/centregoals/status/1812699364697272770

Argentina's performance in the final wasn't its prettiest of the tournament by any means, but it delivered when it mattered most and it now has another title to show for it.

Argentina has had a strong stretch in international play in recent years, winning Copa América in 2021, the World Cup in 2022 and now claiming another Copa América title. It will now begin preparations to defend its World Cup in 2026.

Lionel Messi's quest to lead Argentina to a second straight Copa America title ended in heartbreaking fashion, as he suffered a non-contact injury in the second half of Sunday's final against Colombia and had to be subbed off.

Messi suffered the injury in the 64th minute with the game locked in a scoreless tie.

Messi goes down in pain here pic.twitter.com/dsg8f7j8mz

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 15, 2024

Another look at that non-contact play that led to Messi being subbed off pic.twitter.com/07OzBJjDb8

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 15, 2024

Messi's swollen ankle 😬 pic.twitter.com/dtZ1mQUogV

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 15, 2024

The 37-year-old was visibly emotional when he went to the bench:

Football isn't fair 💔

(via @FOXSoccer) pic.twitter.com/PifGdolAEe

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 15, 2024

Messi had suffered an ankle injury earlier in the match and was tended to for quite some time in the first half before opting to continue competing. When he went down in the second half, he immediately signaled to the bench that something wasn't right. He was replaced by Nicolás González.

Messi had been working through a leg injury that hindered him throughout this year's tournament. He was forced to miss Argentina's group stage finale against Peru. His goal against Canada in the semifinal was his first of the tournament and his 109th of his career.

Argentina is attempting to continue its recent run of success that includes a 2021 Copa America title and a 2022 World Cup victory. Messi has been an integral part of the team's dominance, and while the injury limited him in this year's tournament, his presence helps galvanize Argentina and gives his teammates confidence.

Without Messi, Argentina is facing a tough battle against a Colombia team that is motivated to extend its recent unbeaten streak. Both teams failed to capture any momentum in regulation and were forced to go to extra time.

After Argentina earned a 2-0 win over Canada on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the 2024 Copa America, the Lionel Messi-led squad got the last laugh over hip-hop artist Drake.

The 37-year-old Canadian placed a $300,000 bet for his home country to come out with the win, so Argentina took to social media after its victory with a quote from Kendrick Lamar's hit diss track "Not Like Us."

Not like us, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/Zoa4OTbgnK

— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) July 10, 2024

This is far from the first time that Drake has failed to cash in on his major sports bets, as many believe he carries a "curse" when it comes to his wagers. Just last month, he bet $500,000 on the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup Final and another $500,000 on the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA Finals, and both teams ended up losing their respective series.

While taking losses in sports bets is nothing new for Drake, he has had to deal with the masses celebrating his loss to Lamar in their rap beef that encapsulated the music world for the past few months. Lamar's "Not Like Us" has been streamed nearly half a billion times on Spotify and the music video that was released just last week already has over 115 million views on YouTube.

Messi scored his 109th career international goal and first of this year's tournament in the 51st minute of Tuesday's game to help Argentina secure the win. Julián Álvarez got the defending Copa American champions on the board first in the 22nd minute.

Messi has now produced 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina, and his 14 career goals in Copa America play are just three shy of the all-time record. The 37-year-old sits behind only Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo (130) in career international goals.

Argentina has gone unbeaten in each of its last 10 matches. The team will be seeking a record 16th Copa America title when it meets the winner of Uruguay vs. Colombia in Sunday's final.

"It's insane what this team has done, what the Argentina national team is doing," Messi said after the win. "For those who remain from the old guard, it's beyond impressive that the national team is in another final."

Argentina's fantastic run of international football continued on Tuesday night, as the team defeated Canada 2-0 in the Copa América semifinals, setting up a matchup with either Colombia or Uruguay in the final.

Lionel Messi—who scored his first goal of the tournament against the Canadians—couldn't help but be impressed with his squad while speaking to reporters after the match. In particular, he shouted out some of the longtime veterans who have played with him on the national team for a number of years.

What this team has done, what the Argentina national team has done, because after this everyone gives more importance to all the finals that me and the 'older guys' have played. Me, Fide [Angel Di María], Ota [Nicolás Otamendi], and that Argentina can play another final is amazing.

To be honest it has been a difficult tournament, the level has been as equal as ever, very bad field, high temperatures that make it hard to play, very tough rivals. So the fact we made it and we are here again playing a final is something to enjoy and highlight.

Argentina has reached the final for the second straight time and has already won the Copa América 15 times, tied with Uruguay for the most in history. The country is both the defending World Cup and Copa América champions, won the 2022 CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions over Italy, won five of its six World Cup qualifiers in 2023—losing only to Uruguay—and has yet to lose in 2024 between friendlies and Copa América, with eight wins and a draw.

Suffice to say, the men's national team has been on an absolute heater. Messi is obviously at the center of that, though it remains unclear if he will call it quits on his international career following the Copa.

"We leave them calm from our part, we won't be the ones to close the door on them," manager Lionel Scaloni said of the uncertain international futures of Messi and Di María. "[Messi] can be with us until he wants, and even after he retires he can join me if I'm still coach. And if not I'll take him where I go. He would be a great help."

Argentina is advancing after a 1-1 win over Ecuador that ended with penalty kicks in Copa América on Thursday.

After a strong showing in the group stages, the defending Copa América champions had to deal with plenty of stress against Ecuador but ultimately punched a ticket to the semifinals, where it will face the winner of Canada vs. Venezuela.

After Argentina's victory, here's a look at the updated bracket, a recap of the match and the schedule moving forward:

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Quarterfinal

• Argentina def. Ecuador (1-1); Will face winner of Canada vs. Venezuela 
• Canada vs. Venezuela; Winner faces Argentina
• Columbia vs. Panama; Will face winner of Uruguay vs. Brazil
• Uruguay vs. Brazil; Will face winner of Columbia vs. Panama

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Argentina 1, Ecuador 1 (Argentina wins 4-2 on Penalties)

It was a defensive battle for most of the first half, but Argentina managed to find the back of the net in the 34th minute to take a 1-0 lead before the break. In a beautifully executed corner kick, Lisandro Martínez found himself with a clear shot at the goal and scored off a header.

ARGENTINA BREAKS THROUGH 🔥

Lisandro Martínez scores his first goal for Argentina at the perfect time 👏🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/iGKgRVLUk7

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

Another look at that set piece from Argentina for the lead 🇦🇷🤩 pic.twitter.com/qkkBTAipPu

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

Argentina's Enzo Fernández later had a clear look at a goal in the first half, but instead went for a cross that ended up nowhere near the goal.

Enzo Fernández is gonna want this one back 😅 pic.twitter.com/C4Nq7Xus8V

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

Ecuador had a golden opportunity to score early in the second half when it was awarded a penalty kick after Argentina was called for a handball in the box. Ecuador sent veteran Enner Valencia to take the shot, but he missed it off the post.

PENALTY FOR ECUADOR 😱 pic.twitter.com/MdpzvM4wVv

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

HE MISSED IT 😱

Enner Valencia hits the post on the penalty for Ecuador 🇪🇨 pic.twitter.com/Z86kJPX7k2

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

Lionel Messi, who set the record for the most minutes played in Copa América history during the match, had his chance to score, but Ecuador managed to keep him out of the net to keep the score at 1-0.

Messi gets his chance in front of goal, but is denied by Domínguez 🧤 pic.twitter.com/Dfh2XtJeTN

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

Ecuador was seemingly set to face elimination, but a miraculous goal in extra time kept its hopes alive. A perfect cross from John Yeboah found Kevin Rodríguez, who headed it past the keeper.

ECUADOR SCORES IN STOPPAGE TIME 🔥😱

WE ARE NOW MINUTES AWAY FROM PENALTY KICKS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7yyEZQaHUa

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

Ecuador had a great chance for the game-winner in extra time, but the attempt went just wide.

OOOOHH MY

ECUADOR IS LOOKING FOR A WINNER IN STOPPAGE TIME HERE pic.twitter.com/CrAdhSSDrA

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

An exciting penalty shootout saw Argentina make four shots while Ecuador could only make two, allowing Argentina to advance to the semifinal.

ARGENTINA IS GOING TO THE SEMIFINALS 🇦🇷

🇦🇷: ❌✅✅✅✅
🇪🇨: ❌❌✅✅ pic.twitter.com/OwULuj6kUd

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024

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Upcoming Schedule

Friday, July 5

Knockout Stage Quarterfinal: Venezuela vs. Canada, 9 p.m. ET, FS1

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Saturday, July 6

Knockout Stage Quarterfinal: Colombia vs. Panama, 6 p.m. ET, FS1

Knockout Stage Quarterfinal: Uruguay vs. Brazil, 9 p.m. ET, FS1

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Tuesday, July 9

Knockout Stage Semifinal: QF1 Winner vs. QF2 Winner, 8 p.m. ET, FS1

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Wednesday, July 10

Knockout Stage Semifinal: QF3 Winner vs. QF4 Winner, 8 p.m. ET, FS1

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Saturday, July 13

Third-Place Match: SF1 Loser vs. SF2 Loser, 8 p.m. ET, FS1

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Sunday, July 14

Championship Final: SF1 Winner vs. SF2 Winner, 8 p.m. ET, Fox

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A full bracket quarterfinal bracket can be found here.

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Argentina is making a strong case to defend its title after a win over a tough Ecuador team, but it could get a worthy opponent in either Canada or Venezuela. Friday's matchup between the two will be telling of what kind of trouble Argentina will have in the semifinal.

After missing Argentina's final game of the group stage against Peru on Saturday, Lionel Messi has returned to training, but his status for Thursday's Copa América quarterfinal matchup is still uncertain, per The Athletic's Felipe Cardenas.

According to Cardenas, Messi returned to full training and participated in the team's full session on Monday.

Argentina, the defending Copa América champions, will face Ecuador in its first match of the knockout round.

Messi has missed six games of the MLS season so far this year with various injuries, most recently a leg injury in May.

Despite the missed time, Messi has 12 goals on the year, tied for the fourth most in the league this season. He also has the second most assists in MLS with 13.

Despite being without Messi for the final game of the group stages, Argentina won comfortably against Peru to cap off a strong showing through the first three games. Argentina won all three group stage games to win Group A and advance to the quarterfinal with plenty of momentum.

But now it will face a strong Ecuador team, which picked up a win, draw and loss in the group stages. With a win, it would advance to face the winner of undefeated Venezuela vs. Canada.

Argentina star Lionel Messi ruled out participating in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The 36-year-old is set to take part in his country's defense of its Copa América title. With the Summer Games kicking off just weeks after that tournament ends, he said suiting up for both simply wasn't realistic.

Messi confirmed to ESPN he reached out to Javier Mascherano, Argentina's under-23 coach, to relay his decision.

"I talked to Mascherano and the truth is we both understood the situation," he said. "It's hard [to think about the Olympics right now] because we're in Copa América. It would be two, three straight months of not being with the club, and more than anything I'm not at an age to be in everything.

"I have to choose carefully, and it would be too much to play two straight tournaments. I've been very lucky to play in the Olympics, of winning it together with Masche. It was a wonderful experience on a football level. Olympics, U-20, memories I'll never forget."

The Olympics are different from most major international tournaments in that teams are required to select largely U-23 players. Up to three spots are allotted for players beyond the age cutoff, which opened a door for Messi.

Mascherano admitted in February there were no guarantees when it came to his availability.

In addition to the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's age, playing in MLS means he no longer has summers off.

Under the more traditional European calendar, he would've had around a monthlong break from competitive action before the Copa América kicked off. Instead, he suited up in Inter Miami's 1-1 draw with St. Louis City on June 1 and then put on an Argentina shirt in a 1-0 friendly win over Ecuador on June 9.

Messi has at least tasted Olympic gold before. Argentina beat Nigeria 1-0 in the 2008 final with a collection of talent that probably hasn't been duplicated since.

Already having an Olympic medal in his trophy cabinet may have made it easier for the legendary forward to decline the opportunity for one last ride.

After previously declaring that the 2022 World Cup would be his last, Lionel Messi has left the door open for him to compete for Argentina in 2026.

"It depends on how I feel, how I am physically and knowing whether I'm at the level to be able to compete and help my teammates," Messi said in an interview with InfoBae, per The Athletic's Colin Millar.

After scoring twice in the World Cup final against France and also scoring in the penalty shootout to give Argentina its first World Cup title since 1986, it seemed like Messi would ride off into the sunset. However, he's still active in international football and will represent Argentina as they try to defend their Copa America title this summer.

Messi would be 38 years old by the 2026 World Cup, which is set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, and he would turn 39 during the tournament.

The legendary footballer added that his battle with Father Time is not an easy one, especially considering that he's still active with the MLS club Inter Miami.

"There is still a long time until the tournament, but it goes quickly. I don't know how I will be in that moment and if I feel I will be at the level to help my teammates," Messi said. "Age is also a reality, even if it is a number, and then there are my (club) games. They're not going to be the same as when I played in European competition, which were every three days; in the Champions League or league, either in France or Spain."

Messi's Argentina teammate Alexis Mac Allister said last year that the team is pushing for him to return for the 2026 World Cup.

If Messi can stay healthy, it sounds like he'd be open to returning to action for Argentina in the future.