Messi's interview: In principle, he will not play in the next World Cup It doesn't matter if he didn't win the 8th Ballon d'Or
On June 13, Beijing time, Messi gave an exclusive interview to Sports Weekly in Beijing, talking about the Ballon d'Or and the 2026 World Cup.
Messi led Argentina to World Cup victory in December, lifting the Hercules Cup for the first time in his career and crowning him king. Recently, he came to Beijing to start his 7th trip to China, and also accepted an exclusive interview with the media.
Regarding the feeling of coming to China this time, Messi said: "I can't remember how many times I have come to China, all the Chinese fans love us like this, not only the fans who greeted us downstairs, all the fans are very good to us, very happy to be here." ”
In the just-concluded Champions League final, Manchester City beat Inter 1-0 to win the title, and Messi also stayed up late to watch the game, commenting: "This is a standard final, a very difficult game, and in the end it also played at a high level. ”
Speaking about his relationship with Pep Guardiola, Messi said: "I am in constant contact with Guardiola, and winning the Champions League final once again shows that he is the best coach in the world and he deserves this title. ”
Will you become a coach in the future? The king replied: "I still don't think I want to be a coach, but after a while, I don't know if I will change my mind." ”
What is Messi's way of watching football at home? Messi said: "I generally enjoy watching TV at home and watching football with my children, it's a time for them to share family time. ”
Barca fans have been calling his name this season, how does Messi feel? "Even though I'm not there, they're still calling my name, which is a very beautiful feeling because I've spent many years there, as have my children, and they have a very deep affection for Barcelona. ”
Messi is about to turn 36 and will be 39 in three years, will he still play in the 2026 World Cup and lead Argentina to defend his title? He replied: "Like I said before, I should not participate in the next World Cup, take a step and see, in principle, I will not play again." ”
After winning the World Cup, Messi has already won the FIFA Player of the Year award and is the hottest candidate for this year's Ballon d'Or. If he wins, it will be the eighth time in his career that he has won the Ballon d'Or, continuing to set his record for the most in history.
In this regard, Messi said: "At this point in my career, individual awards are not so important, the most important thing is the World Cup, which I have always lacked. What I have always emphasized is that collective honors outweigh individual honors, and if the 8th Golden Globe comes here, it's a good thing, it doesn't matter if it doesn't come. ”
For last year's World Cup, Messi revealed that he had not seen the replay, but had seen the highlights. On manager Scaloni, he said: "Scaloni is very important for the team, the way to communicate with the players is great, without him Argentina could not have achieved this. ”