Will Lionel Messi Play in the World Cup for Argentina?

All eyes will be on Lionel Messi and Argentina at the 2026 World Cup this summer. La Albiceleste prepares to defend its title in what could be the final international tournament of the greatest player in the country's history.

Messi has been in excellent form to start the MLS season, but concerns over his fitness emerged after he picked up a knock in a recent match.

Over on PrizePicks Team Picks, you can predict whether certain players will play in the 2026 World Cup and earn a real-money payout if you’re correct. For example, a $100 entry on a player to participate in the World Cup at a 2.5x payout would return $250.

Below, we’ll discuss if Messi will play in the 2026 World Cup and highlight picks for Messi and the Argentina national team.

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Will Lionel Messi Play in the 2026 World Cup?

Many football fans feared the worst when Argentina's captain asked to come off during Inter Miami's most recent match.

Despite the worry, multiple reports have confirmed that the early substitution was precautionary. Lionel Scaloni’s top scorer is tracking to be readily available for the World Cup.

On PrizePicks Team Picks, a prediction of “No” on Messi to play in the World Cup returns a 22.22x payout.

It remains unclear whether Messi will feature in either of Argentina's two pre-tournament friendlies ahead of the World Cup. The 38-year-old midfielder has joined the squad but is still dealing with hamstring inflammation.

Even if Messi sits out both friendlies against Honduras and Iceland, he's expected to be fit for Argentina's Group J opener against Algeria on June 16.

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Lionel Messi and Argentina Team Picks for 2026 World Cup

Here are some top Lionel Messi and Argentina picks on PrizePicks for the 2026 World Cup. Check out more of our soccer picks and predictions on Playbook.

Player and Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

Lock in your Lionel Messi 2026 World Cup picks on PrizePicks now.

Lionel Messi to be the Golden Boot Winner: Yes 11.11x | No 1.03x

Despite his age, Messi continues to perform at an elite level. The Inter Miami forward leads all MLS players with 19 goal contributions in just 14 matches.

Argentina to win 2026 Men’s World Cup: Yes 8.33x | No 1.06x

At the moment, Argentina shares the third-highest odds of winning the tournament with Brazil and Portugal.

Argentina to win 2026 World Cup Group J: Yes 1.31x | No 3.12x

Argentina was selected for Group J in the World Cup group stage alongside Austria, Algeria, and Jordan.

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Make Lionel Messi World Cup Picks on PrizePicks

The football world could soon have its eyes fixed on Argentina and Messi, as one of the greatest players of all time might be suiting up in the blue-and-white stripes for the last time. Does Messi have one more historic World Cup run in him?

You can make your Lionel Messi and 2026 World Cup picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money on World Cup games. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats like shots or goals, and cash in if you’re correct. 

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Stick around with the Playbook for continued World Cup predictions, picks, and analysis through the end of the tournament.