Lionel Messi will feature for Argentina at the next World Cup in 2026, according to former national team player Jorge Valdano.
The PSG forward ended his career-long wait to lift football's most prestigious trophy after Sunday's final saw Argentina emerge victorious against France after a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win.
There had been suggestions that the PSG star had plans to retire after the World Cup, however Valdano claims he spoke with Messi and insisted the forward vowed to stick with the national side if they were successful in Qatar.
Speaking to Spanish radio station Cadena Cope, Valdano said: 'When I interviewed him before the World Cup, off camera he told me that he was going to play in his fifth World Cup and that no footballer had played six; he told me that it was impossible, and he told me 'if I'm a World Champion I'll keep my shirt on until the next World Cup'.
'We will see if Messi is capable. Football has shown that it is practically impossible to play in six World Cups.'
In the fifth World Cup of his career, Messi finally lifted the trophy after a hard-fought contest with France had to be settled with a penalty shoot-out.
He scored in every round of the knockout stages - against Australia, Holland, Croatia and France - to help ensure their first World Cup win since 1986.
After the game, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni doubled down on the insistence that Messi needs to stick with the national team.
Scaloni said: 'We need to save him for the next World Cup – 2026. If he wants to keep playing, he will be with us. He is more than entitled to decide what he wants to do with his career now.'
The 35-year-old scored a brace in the match - with a first-half penalty and extra-time effort - before slotting away his spot-kick in the shoot-out that followed.
A hat-trick from France's Kylian Mbappe in the 3-3 draw proved futile as Messi and Argentina stormed to victory for the first time in the competition since 1986.
