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ESPN FC

Will Messi Play at the World Cup?

ESPN FC

ESPN

Soccer, Sports

4.32.7K Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The FC crew talks Lionel Messi after his brilliant performance against Venezuela in World Cup Qualifiers, will Messi play for Argentina in the 2026 World Cup? Plus, Hercules Gomez joins the guys discuss Luis Suarez's Leagues Cup suspension & Mauricio Pochettino's comments leading up the World Cup. Also, the panel looks back at big wins for France & Italy as well as World Cup Qualifiers going on across the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:06.2

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0:34.5

Welcome into latest edition of ESPNFC. I'm Dan Thomas joined by Alan Renner and Stevie Nicke.

0:39.5

We'll kick things off with the penultimate round of World Cup qualifiers in Commonwealth

0:43.1

and in theory, Leonel Messi's final home game in an Argentina shirt.

0:49.5

He would mark it with a couple of goals.

0:51.2

Argentina would win by three goals to nil.

0:55.0

Argentina looking good with Leonel Messi at the heart of everything.

0:58.0

This is in qualifying eight goals, three assists, more than any other player, not only for

1:04.0

Argentina, but in the whole of Commonwealth.

1:07.0

So this is it, Ali, and this is the question, isn't it? Is he going to play in the World Cup?

1:12.6

I think he is.

1:15.6

Now, I couldn't tell you 100%, because a lot of this is going to depend, of course, in the level of fitness for Lionel Messi.

1:21.6

And what we have seen over the last few years is that fitness is an area of concern.

1:26.6

But I must tell you, there's been some signs

1:30.2

from Leon Messe, some emotion, some reactions from Yonel Messey that kind of give you a rare look,

1:38.9

inside look into what he feels and what he thinks. And to see him in tears ahead of this match,

1:47.0

there's a lot that goes into it and it's obviously him knowing full well that this is the last time that he will wear the

...

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