After coming up short at the 2026 World Cup, it's not too soon to wonder what's next for Lionel Messi and Argentina

Moments after the final whistle blew at the end of Sunday’s World Cup final, Lionel Messi was stoic. He stared off into the distance. He sat on the field. He exchanged handshakes and hugs with numerous Spain players — all of whom wanted to acknowledge his greatness in the midst of their celebrations.

That stoicism disappeared when Messi received his second-place medal after the 1-0 loss. As he walked off the podium and faced the Argentina fans still in attendance for the trophy ceremony, Messi did his best to fight back tears.

Those tears were well deserved. It’s hard to think of an athlete who has meant more to his country than Messi since Pelé led Brazil to three World Cups. And it’s also hard to think about the future — for both Messi and Argentina.

But that future is now.

Never say never, but an unprecedented seventh World Cup appearance is highly unlikely, even as Argentina co-hosts the next tournament.

Messi turns 43 in the summer of 2030.

And what is there left to accomplish?

Sure, there’s still the chase for a second World Cup. Argentina was vying to be the first country since Pelé’s Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. But if a second World Cup wasn’t going to happen in 2026, it’s almost assuredly not going to happen in 2030.

Besides, Messi doesn’t need a second World Cup for his legacy. A win on Sunday would have indisputably made him the best men’s soccer player ever. But it’s a title he probably holds even with the loss. What other player could score a hat trick when becoming the first player to ever play in six World Cups? Or challenge for the Golden Boot during a World Cup in which he turned 39?

Messi showed why he’s the G.O.A.T. this summer with or without another World Cup.

With eight Ballon d’Or wins, 13 league titles and four Champions League wins in addition to the 2022 World Cup and two Copa Américas, Messi has a resumé that’s unmatched in modern soccer history. His main rival over the last two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo, faltered at this tournament as Portugal might have been worse with him on the field.

Argentina doesn’t make it to the final without Messi. Heck, it might not even make it past Cape Verde in the Round of 32.

Following Argentina’s World Cup win, you couldn’t have blamed Messi for going out on top. And he publicly waffled about his participation in the 2026 tournament, even as he became the biggest star to ever move to MLS when he arrived at Inter Miami in 2023.

For now, his soccer future is with Miami. After signing an initial three-year deal with Miami, Messi re-upped for three more seasons through MLS’ 2028 campaign. That contract will take Messi up to a month shy of his 41st birthday.

Will Messi continue playing after that? Maybe. The 2028 Copa América doesn’t officially have a host, and the United States could again serve as the location as it did in 2024.

Argentina is the two-time defending Copa América champion. An attempt at a three-peat could be the way for Messi to officially exit the international stage and even professional soccer altogether. After coming to MLS, it’s hard to see Messi going the Saudi Pro League route that Ronaldo did. Especially after Ronaldo couldn’t score in open play against a team other than Uzbekistan.

That Copa América may also be the last stand for what’s an increasingly old Argentina squad with no real pipeline for 2030 and beyond. Of the 17 players that appeared in Sunday’s final, Messi was one of six over the age of 30. And of the 11 still in their 20s, another six will be either 30 or older when the 2028 Copa América begins.

To be fair, when you have the best player in the history of the sport, you should do everything in your power to ensure that his teams can have success. No one can fault Argentina for attempting to maximize its chances with Messi and build the team around his playing style.

But with or without Messi, there’s no world where the Argentina team that heads to the 2030 World Cup will be anywhere near as good as the one that’s reached three of the last four World Cup finals. And at the very least, the team that Argentina brings to the next World Cup is going to look very, very different than the one that won all but two matches over the last two World Cups.