Lionel Messi, still chasing international glory nearly two decades into his career, says he hopes to play at the 2026 World Cup in North America, acknowledging his age and fitness will dictate his role in defending Argentina’s 2022 title.

The Argentine great recently extended his contract with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami through 2028, signalling he is not yet considering retirement despite turning 39 next June.

Speaking to NBC News, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner said he will take time next year to assess his physical condition before deciding whether to play in the tournament across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“It’s something extraordinary to be able to be in a World Cup, and I would love to,” the Argentine captain said in the interview released on Monday.

“I would like to be there, to be well and be an important part of helping my team, if I am there. I’m going to assess that on a day-to-day basis when I start preseason next year with Inter (and see if I can really be 100%, if I can be useful and then make a decision.

“I’m really eager because it’s a World Cup. We’re coming off winning the last one, and being able to defend it on the field again is spectacular because it’s always a dream to play with the national team.”

Messi has enjoyed a professional career spanning more than 20 years, debuting for Barcelona at just 17 in 2004 before playing for Paris St Germain and joining Inter Miami in 2023. He sparked fresh interest in the American league in a critical moment for the sport in North America ahead of hosting next year’s World Cup.

While Messi has amassed countless club and individual accolades, international success had eluded him until claiming the 2021 Copa America before beating France 4-2 on penalties to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“It was the dream of my life,” Messi said of the victory.

“It was also true that it was the only thing missing at a professional level because I had been lucky enough to have achieved everything at an individual level, at a team level with Barcelona, and I think that’s every player’s dream. When you ask a player what their dream is, it’s to be world champion.”

Messi has played in 195 matches and scored a record 114 goals for his country. A return for the 2026 World Cup would mark his sixth appearance in the tournament.

-Reuters

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Once the hero of Super Eagles’ renaissance at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, is enduring a turbulent period both at his South African club, Chippa United, and with the national team, the Super Eagles.

According to South Africa’s Kick-Off magazine, the 29-year-old shot-stopper and captain of Chippa United finds himself under growing scrutiny as the Eastern Cape club languishes at the foot of the league standings. The team’s struggles have already prompted two coaching changes this season, with a third reportedly imminent.

Nwabali has conceded 17 goals in just 10 league matches, managing only two clean sheets despite being the club’s highest-paid player. His leadership and form are now under the spotlight as Chippa faces the looming threat of relegation — a scenario that could have serious implications for the goalkeeper’s international future.

At the national level, Nwabali is also contending with questions about his consistency. His recent error against Lesotho in Nigeria’s FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign has yet to be forgotten by fans and pundits. Despite being the Super Eagles’ undisputed number one since early 2024, calls for competition in goal have grown louder.

Nigeria will resume their World Cup qualification campaign against Gabon in November before heading to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they will face Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania in the group stage.

Observers note that the AFCON could serve as a defining moment for Nwabali’s career — an opportunity to silence critics, reassert his credentials, and possibly attract renewed transfer interest. But first, he must help steer Chippa United away from the danger zone to safeguard both his club and international reputation.

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Zimbabwe have fired their German coach Michael Nees after a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign and only two months before they play at the Africa Cup of Nations finals, the Zimbabwe Football Association said.

Nees had been in the job for 14 months, ensuring Zimbabwe’s qualification for the Cup of Nations finals in Morocco. He then oversaw the last six matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, in which they ended last in their group, having drawn three and lost three.

Overall, he won two of 14 games he was in charge of since being appointed in August last year.

Zimbabwe must now find a new coach in time for the Cup of Nations, where they face Egypt in their opening Group B game in Agadir on December 22.

The 58-year-old Nees had previous national team jobs in Africa with Seychelles and Rwanda and was technical director in Israel and Kosovo.

-Reuters

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