Messi Could Reach Sixth World Cup With Argentina — Who Does Messi Play For

Lionel Messi may play in his sixth World Cup this summer, and who does messi play for now has a simple answer: Argentina. He returned to the national team after briefly stepping away in 2016, then helped Argentina win the 2024 Copa América.

Messi and Argentina

That puts the 36-year-old forward on the edge of another tournament that could close a major international chapter. Messi already won the 2022 World Cup, and if he appears this summer, it would be his sixth.

His path back to that stage has been direct. After losing the 2016 Copa América Centenario final, he briefly retired from the Argentina national team. He later came back, and the 2024 Copa América title followed.

Inter Miami and the U.S. move

Messi joined Inter Miami after a shock move to the United States in the summer of 2023. He scored a game-winning free kick in his U.S. debut, and Inter Miami won their first league championship during his first two and a half years with the club.

That club move changed where American fans could see him most often. Before 2023, many saw him on television or in summer friendlies; now the international piece may arrive in the United States too, in the same country where he has expanded his commercial footprint.

World Cup record chase

Messi has 13 World Cup goals, leaving him three behind Miroslav Klose’s record of 16. Argentina are favored by few to repeat as champions this year, which makes the scoring chase and the tournament itself part of the same conversation.

For American fans, the draw is specific: if he plays, this could be one of the last chances to watch Messi in a World Cup on U.S. soil. The result would not just add another cap to his résumé; it would put his international career back in front of the same audience that watched him change Inter Miami almost immediately after arriving.