Guillermo Martínez
Primera B Metropolitana · Attacker · Argentina · 25 yrs
Primera B Metropolitana · Attacker · Argentina · 25 yrs
With the focus set on the 2028 Copa America, Argentina FA president casted doubts on the future of Lionel Messi in the national team: "It's his decision." Lionel Messi once again served as Argentina‘s undisputed leader on soccer’s biggest stage during the 2026 World Cup, but questions surrounding his future involvement with the national team remain unresolved. With the 2028 Copa América looming as the next major international tournament, Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Claudio Tapia left the decision entirely up to the star forward, stating, “It’s his decision.” In an interview with TyC Sports, Tapia was asked about Messi’s future with the Albiceleste following another memorable World Cup run, delivering a candid response: “It is purely and personal to him, we have to leave him in peace. It was a great World Cup by Leo, we enjoyed it a lot. We have to feel proud, and I enjoyed every moment I could because I saw him on the pitch. Without a doubt, he was the flag bearer of the group in this World Cup, just as he was in every competition where he led this group.” Tapia went on to highlight Messi’s extraordinary track record since Lionel Scaloni assumed control of the bench. “Out of 5 finals, he won 4, and out of 103 matches, 76 won, 19 drawn, 8 lost. If you count from World Cup to World Cup, from 2022 to 2026, we lost two matches: the first one in Qatar against Saudi Arabia, and the last one against Spain. If you sit down and analyze the World Cup he had, for me, the best player in the World Cup final was him. And he was breaking records match after match,” he added. Since Scaloni’s managerial debut against Guatemala in 2018, Argentina has netted 190 total goals, with Messi directly involved in 79 of them, racking up 60 goals and 26 assists to remain the focal point of this golden era. Lautaro Martinez trails him with 40 goals, while Julian Alvarez sits third with 15, emphasizing how vital the Inter Miami superstar remains to his country. AFA president Claudio Tapia hugs Lionel Messi after losing to Spain in the 2026 World Cup Final. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Looking ahead, the team’s primary focus shifts toward the 2028 Copa America, the next major competition on Argentina’s calendar. While Messi will still be under contract with Inter Miami through December of that year, the fact that he will turn 41 during the tournament casts uncertainty over his participation, let alone his availability for the 2030 World Cup. “It is his decision, pure and exclusive to him. He has to feel the desire like he felt (before)… In 2022, you didn’t know if he was going to be here in 2026. He said ‘this is match by match,’ and I think we saw a great version, if not the best version of Leo in this World Cup. I believe we have to leave him in peace, let him keep enjoying what he likes, which is playing football, and let us also keep enjoying, and let him make the decision he believes is right,” Tapia concluded. Comparing Messi’s timeline to Di Maria’s send-off Angel Di Maria established himself as arguably the second most influential player of the Scaloni era, delivering iconic goals in major finals before closing out his international career after the 2024 Copa America. While Messi has yet to announce a final decision, Tapia emphasized that the captain will evaluate his own physical state rather than rushing into retirement. Reflecting on the fitness of Di Maria, who currently plays for Rosario Central, Tapia noted. “Fideo scored important goals, and I saw him play in the local tournament, and he was easily fit to play (in the World Cup). I don’t get into the decisions of the coaching staff, but he also made clear that he was retired from the national team. So one has to be respectful of everything. He felt he was fulfilled.“ When asked whether Messi still possesses that unquenchable drive to keep competing for Argentina, Tapia referenced a shared moment between the two. “I was talking with him about that in a series, about never gi
Santiago Gimenez has been struggling to play consistently with AC Milan, and that could impact his chances of featuring at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Mexico. Mexico are entering the final stretch of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, meaning players are fighting for their last opportunities to make the roster. In that context, Santiago Gimenez’s physical struggles at AC Milan could prove decisive. “People close to Santi are fearing a catastrophe for the Milan striker,” journalist Carlos Ponce de Leon of Mexican outlet Diario Record said this week. “They fear he could miss out on a second consecutive World Cup.” This report has surfaced this week for a specific reason. On Tuesday, Javier Aguirre confirmed a preliminary list of 12 Liga MX players who will begin training next week with a view toward the World Cup. While the list is not binding—and therefore does not guarantee a spot on the final roster—it offers a clear indication of the coach’s plans. Among those 12 players are two center forwards. One is Armando Gonzalez of Chivas, who was expected to be included, as reports suggest he is competing for a spot with Inter Miami’s German Berterame. The surprise, however, was the inclusion of another player with a similar profile: Guillermo Martinez. Javier Aguirre, coach of Mexico and Rafael Marquez, Assistant Coach. The 30-year-old forward has impressed recently with Pumas UNAM, where he has recorded five goals in 15 matches in the Liga MX Clausura tournament. Martinez has already been called up by Javier Aguirre twice this year: he played 24 minutes against Iceland in February and was an unused substitute during the March FIFA international window against Portugal and Belgium. Santiago Gimenez needs to regain full fitness Under normal circumstances, Santiago Gimenez’s place at the World Cup would not be threatened by Guillermo Martinez’s performances at Pumas. However, the recent track record of the AC Milan striker is far from encouraging. Gimenez has scored just one goal in the 2025-26 season and has made only 14 appearances across Serie A and the Coppa Italia. An ankle injury suffered in November required surgery and kept him sidelined for nearly five months, until his return in mid-March. Since then, the Mexican striker has logged just 67 minutes across three Serie A matches with AC Milan—against Torino, Napoli, and Hellas Verona— all coming off the bench, while also remaining an unused substitute on three other occasions. Gimenez has yet to debut at the World Cup Despite being one of Mexico’s most promising players in recent years, Santiago Gimenez has yet to appear at a World Cup. He was left out of the squad for Qatar 2022 by then-head coach Gerardo Martino, who opted for other forwards such as Raul Jimenez, Henry Martin, and Rogelio Funes Mori. In the years following that tournament, Gimenez established himself as a regular call-up under successive managers, including Diego Cocca, Jaime Lozano, and Javier Aguirre. However, his recent injury issues have once again pushed him out of contention, with his last appearance for Mexico coming in October 2025 against Ecuador.
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