Messi shares World Cup journey from 2006 to 2026 ahead of sixth tournament

Argentina captain Lionel Messi posted a collage of his World Cup photographs on Instagram ahead of his sixth appearance in the tournament, captioned "2006 to 2026." The 38-year-old forward has played in five World Cups to date: 2006 in Germany, 2010 in South Africa, 2014 in Brazil, 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar, where Argentina won its third world title after losing the 2014 final. Defending champion Argentina will open its 2026 campaign against Algeria in Kansas City on Wednesday, June 18, at the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The match marks the start of Messi's pursuit of an unprecedented sixth World Cup appearance. In Qatar, he joined Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to have appeared in five World Cups. The 2026 tournament will add both to that group should all three take the field, extending a record shared by very few in the modern era.