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Lionel Messi has yet to confirm his participation in the 2026 World Cup this summer—holding off until the final moment to "see if [he] really can be 100%"—but the 38-year-old Argentine football icon is certainly preparing as though he's chasing back-to-back titles.
Messi guided La Albiceleste to World Cup triumph in Qatar in 2022, Argentina's third championship in the tournament's history (1978, 1986). The former FC Barcelona star, aged 35 at the time, claimed the Golden Ball after netting seven goals and contributing three assists on the road to glory, cementing his place in history as the only player to win the Golden Ball on two occasions (2014).
Reluctantly, many supporters came to accept that Messi's extraordinary performance could serve as the perfect farewell for the greatest player in the world, believing it was likely his final appearance at a World Cup—and that may still prove to be the case.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient, however, has continued to represent his country since Qatar, pulling on the sky blue and white as recently as the March international window in friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia, even finding the net in a dominant 5–0 triumph over the latter.
On Friday, Argentine teammate and fellow Inter Miami star Rodrigo De Paul shed light on the grueling training routine he and Messi are undertaking together in Miami to arrive in peak condition for the upcoming World Cup. Argentina enters the tournament as a strong favorite, currently ranked No. 3 in the world as of Sunday, and will compete in Group J against Algeria, Austria, and Jordan ahead of the knockout rounds.
Double Training Commitment
According to De Paul, he and Messi have significantly ramped up their training beyond their regular obligations with club side Inter Miami, even bringing in a dedicated personal trainer.
"For the past two to three months, we've had a training program on top of what we do at the club, and the two of us push ourselves to the limit to get into the best physical condition possible," the defensive midfielder told Lo del Pollo on Friday.
"We set ourselves a double shift and we have our own trainer there, and we give everything we've got," he added.
While designed with the summer tournament in mind, the additional training sessions are already delivering tangible benefits for both Messi and De Paul.
Messi has recorded 12 goals and five assists across the opening 12 games of the new MLS season, breaking a league record last week by becoming the quickest player in its history to reach 100 regular-season goal contributions, achieving the feat in just 64 appearances—31 fewer than the previous record-holder needed. He also bagged a hat trick on Wednesday in a thrilling 5–3 away victory over FC Cincinnati.
After a sluggish start to the campaign, De Paul has shown a marked improvement in form, likely motivated by a desire to secure his place on Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni's final squad. The 31-year-old has been a dominant presence at the base of midfield and has also demonstrated bursts of pace and creativity when pushing forward into attack. He has contributed three goals and seven assists so far this season.
Both Messi and De Paul were included in Scaloni's preliminary 55-man squad, and the Argentine coach is set to announce the official 26-man roster shortly, as all competing nations must submit their selections by June 1 at the latest. Several top nations, including France, have already unveiled their final squads.