Lionel Messi interview: 2026 World Cup advantage and why Argentina star ‘doesn’t care’ about records

Lionel Messi has opened up over his career in a rare interview where he spoke about the ‘unique’ Pep Guardiola’s influence on him, the 2026 World Cup and why he ‘never cared’ about his record-breaking accomplishments.

The Argentine superstar spoke to ESPN ahead of the MLS Cup final, which Inter Miami will feature in on December 6 for the first time in their history to potentially give the Messi his first major league title in the US.

Messi broke the alleged all-time record with his 405th career assist in his most recent match, which saw Inter Miami defeat New York City FC to reach the final, but the 38-year-old admitted he does not think about his numbers.

“I don’t like statistics; today everything is about that,” Messi said. “I like to be very involved in the game.

“There were years when we won everything: reaching the Copa América final with the national team, winning the Champions League with Barcelona.

“It’s difficult. In 2012, I scored around 91 goals. I don’t play for that, I never cared about it. It wasn’t in my mind to make an assist just to break a record or surpass someone else. It’s hard to choose one year; thankfully I’ve had many very good ones.”

Messi on: Pep Guardiola

Messi was also full of praise on Guardiola’s impact on his career, explaining: “I had crossed paths with him once, but I didn’t know him, we had no relationship until he became our coach at Barcelona. Pep is unique. There are extraordinarily good coaches, but he has something special — he’s the best of all for me.

“The way he sees things, prepares matches, communicates … for me he’s the best. We were lucky that we all coincided at Barcelona — him and all of us. He had the pieces he needed for what he wanted.”

“Then he went somewhere else and kept winning. It’s not just winning; it’s how his teams play. He did it at Bayern, he did it at City. Even though he didn’t win the Champions League at Bayern, he changed the way football was played in Germany, where they were used to a different style. In England he did the same… He not only changes a team, he changes how the whole league plays.”

“From the beginning we had a great relationship. Pep was very close, we talked a lot, and I learned an enormous amount from him. I added more things to my game on top of what I already knew. I learned a lot with him — how to move, how to read spaces.

“He was even the one who put me as a false nine; in Barcelona’s youth teams I played behind the striker. That was really my position. Even when I debuted with [Frank] Rijkaard and later with Pep, they placed me as a winger, but I had never really played there. But I kept adding things to my game and kept growing football-wise as well.”

Messi on: the 2026 World Cup

Messi expressed his ‘hope’ that he will be ready to play in his record sixth World Cup next summer, although he revealed he believes Inter Miami’s pre-season break could give him an advantage over other international stars.

“I hope I can be there. I’ve said before that I’d love to be there. At worst, I’ll be there watching it live, but it will be special,” Messi said.

“But being honest, having a preseason in the middle changes everything for me. It’s like starting a new season from scratch, and having a preseason in the middle will help me a lot because European players arrive to finals with a ton of matches in their legs, like always. Except for Qatar, which was midseason, and many felt better because they had less load.

“I think the same will happen to me.”

He added: “The truth is we have extraordinary players, and it’s been shown for years — especially the desire and excitement since [Lionel] Scaloni took over.

“The mentality everyone has. It’s a squad full of winners, with strong mindsets, who want to win more, and that’s contagious. You see it in training, in matches. You see them train and they give everything.

“Scaloni and his staff built all of this. The day-to-day atmosphere comes from them. Argentina needs to take advantage of this moment. Coming off winning the World Cup gives you confidence and relief to prepare competitions differently.”

Messi on: the MLS schedule

With Inter Miami set to end their season after the MLS Cup and giving Messi a two-month break, the legendary forward admitted that the schedule ‘hit differently’ compared to playing in Europe.

Messi said: “I’ve said it and I’ll repeat it: this part of the season hits us differently compared to Europe. We’re going to start a tough preseason in January and then we’ll have many games in a row with the league and the [Concacaf Champions Cup].

“I’m going to prepare myself for that, but like I said, I’ll take it day by day, being honest and realistic and trying to feel good

“This year I felt really good. I was lucky to play many games. People talk about the league being very physical, and it is; rivals have improved a lot. There are long trips, games that get very back-and-forth. I truly felt good, I enjoyed it, and I hope the start of next year is the same.”

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