Lionel Messi has moved to silence speculation about his future, insisting he has no plans to hang up his boots immediately after the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Speaking to reporters on his 39th birthday, Messi made clear that his playing career will not be governed by age milestones or tournament deadlines — only by how his body feels and how much he can contribute on the pitch.

"I don't know. The truth is, I'm not thinking about that right now," Messi said when asked whether he could feature at a future World Cup. "It seems a bit far off but, as I said, I'm living one day at a time and focused on the present."

"I will continue for some time, as long as I can contribute, feel good physically, and help my team-mates. I will keep playing."

Record scorer leads Argentina to the top

Messi has been in outstanding form at the tournament in North America, firing five goals across his two appearances to lead the Golden Boot standings.

Those efforts have lifted his all-time World Cup tally to 18 goals — a record haul that no other player in the history of the competition has matched. Twelve of those goals have arrived across the two most recent editions of the tournament.

Argentina have ridden Messi's brilliance to back-to-back victories, propelling them to the summit of Group J and reinforcing their status as one of the favourites to lift the trophy once more.

As the competition intensifies, Messi continues to demonstrate that, even at 39, the appetite and quality that have defined his career show no sign of fading.