On the verge of making his historic sixth World Cup appearance, Lionel Messi spoke about the strengths that make Argentina a fierce candidate to defend their global crown. Lionel Messi is gearing up for his sixth World Cup, embarking on what will likely be the final tournament of his legendary international career. In North America, Argentina will look to defend the title they brilliantly claimed at Qatar 2022, and they arrive red-hot following dominant displays in their final warm-up friendlies. First, Argentina cruised to a 2-0 victory over Honduras at Kyle Field, a match where manager Lionel Scaloni opted to rest Messi completely on the bench, due to a physical issue that had cut short his last match with Inter Miami In their final tune-up, the Albiceleste dismantled Iceland 3-0 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, where the captain made his return to the pitch, dazzled the crowd with a goal, and dictated the tempo of the comprehensive victory. Argentina’s emphatic win over Iceland also served as official notice that Messi is entering this World Cup highly motivated. Following the match, he sent a clear warning to any opponent planning to snatch the reigning champions’ crown. “This national team is incredibly competitive, and we’ve been proving that for many years,” Messi told Argentine outlet Olé in a post-match interview. “It is going to be very difficult for our opponents to face Argentina, because this is a squad that is in a great place—we are very strong, deeply united, and our hunger remains completely intact“. Messi opens up on initial doubts about playing in 2026 World Cup A few months ago, Messi had cast some doubt over his participation in the 2026 World Cup, previously stating that he would make a final decision closer to the summer based entirely on how his body felt physically. Those initial comments naturally triggered a wave of anxiety across Argentina. However, as time progressed and Messi continued to showcase elite physical form with Inter Miami, it became increasingly obvious that he had no intention of missing what will likely be his final dance on the world stage. With exactly one week to go before Argentina’s group-stage opener against Algeria, Messi explained his mindset during that period of uncertainty. “Everything happened so fast after Qatar, and I’ve had a lot of intense competition in between. But I kept feeling good,” Messi explained to Olé. “Even though I am playing for Inter Miami, I never stopped competing or pushing myself, and over this past year, I prepared diligently to ensure I arrived here in the best possible shape,” he added.