Lionel Messi recently hinted he could sit out of the 2026 World Cup, but Lionel Scaloni has played down that claim, saying he has time to make his decision.

Argentina have already sealed their place in next year's tournament, topping the South American qualifying group with one game left to play.

Messi played what he said was his final competitive home match in Argentina against Venezuela on Thursday, scoring twice in their 3-0 win, and narrowly missing out on a hat-trick due to an offside flag.

He is the top scorer in South America's World Cup qualifiers, having netted eight goals, but he will not feature for Argentina against Ecuador, their final such match, as he prioritises his fitness for the rest of the MLS season.

After the game against Venezuela, Messi cryptically responded "we'll see" when asked if he would be at the World Cup next year, but Scaloni is hopeful his captain will be a part of the squad.

"I don't think it's right to put a percentage on it today because I honestly don't know," Scaloni explained.

"Many things can happen. We already have a core group of players; everyone knows that. From there, when we know how many spots we'll have, we'll make decisions.

"As for Leo, I haven't talked to him about it. I only know what he said publicly, and he's going to take his time with this decision."

Messi won the Golden Ball at the 2022 World Cup, having helped Argentina to the World Cup title. He finished the tournament with the joint most goal involvements (10 – seven goals, three assists).

He has also led Argentina to back-to-back Copa America titles, winning in 2021 and 2024.