​Lionel Messi may be entering his last World Cup game, but no one gets to ask him about it originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.NEW YORK – A few weeks back, Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday, in the middle of dominating a World Cup at a point when Pele had been retired two years, when Maradona hadn’t earned a national team cap in five and Zinedine Zidane was just as far past head-butting his way out of the 2006 final.Messi is the statistical leader to win the Golden Boot for most goals scored – tied with France’s Kylian Mbappe with 8 goals but ahead on the assists tiebreaker – and the obvious current favorite for the Golden Ball presented to the competition’s most outstanding player.Because of his age, it widely has been assumed the World Cup final Sunday against Spain at New Jersey’s Meadowlands would be his last official act with Argentina’s national team. Because of his performance, it seemed prudent for someone to ask the question of whether that really is the case.DECOURCY: 26 thoughts on the ’26 World Cup“What do I know?” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters Friday at the Javits Center in Manhattan. “Ask him. I don’t have the foggiest idea. I don’t know what to answer. He doesn’t stop surprising us.”In fact, his behavior was somewhat predictable Friday afternoon. He was at the Javits Center for a brief public appearance at which three representatives of the two finalists were on stage with comedian Kevin Hart and England great Rio Ferdinand as hosts, and superstar athletes Novak Djokovic, Kevin Durant and Tom Brady entering one-by-one to join the soccer stars.Messi did not appear, though, as team captains traditionally do – and as Spain’s Rodri did earlier – at the final pregame press conference. It was a five-floor elevator ride away, but instead Argentina was represented in that venue by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. So we couldn’t ask Messi himself.2026 WORLD CUP HQ:Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup ticketsThis will be Messi’s fourth major tournament final since 2021, all with Scaloni as head coach. Argentina won the previous three: the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, the World Cup in 2022. Argentina can become the third team ever to win consecutive World Cups, joining Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).It is an overwhelming opportunity, but Messi no longer carries the burden of elevating his national team success to the same level of accomplishment he enjoyed while a young maestro at FC Barcelona: winning four UEFA Champions League titles, three FIFA Club World Cups and besting Real Madrid to win Spain’s La Liga 10 times.There were times when his commitment to Argentina was challenged by some who are passionate about the national team; it was noted that he’d left home at 13 to attend Barca’s La Masia academy. How Argentine was he, really?Now, you s