New Delhi, Sept. 5 -- Fans of Lionel Messi might get disappointed after the Argentine captain gave a "honest" and "logical" clarification about his 2026 FIFA World Cup plans following the 2022 champion's 3-0 victory over Venezuela in their final home qualifying match in Buenos Aires on Friday. The 38-year-old scored twice while Lautaro Martinez netted the other as Argentina consolidated their top spot in the South American table.

With age not on his side, the question of Messi's participation in the next edition in the United States, Mexico and Canada has come up several times. The Inter Miami star was once again asked about his future in blue and white stripes, especially keeping the World Cup into consideration.

"As I've said before, ...