La World Cup win in Qatar has turned to Leo Messi in the footballer who got it all. To his extensive and complete list of titles at club level he now adds the most with the albiceleste after proclaiming himself champion of America and now of the world. It is not surprising that more than one thinks that, at their 35 years, Messi has few things left to do in football. But no, the challenges continue and the motivations to continue competing are there, just around the corner. After touching the sky of Qatar with his fingers, these are some of the challenges that the Argentine can face in the last years of his career.
The Copa América, a short-term goal
Leo Messi’s most affordable and realistic objective is to establish his presence in the next Copa América in 2024, for which there has not yet been a chosen venue. There, the Argentine would have the challenge of putting Argentina as the team with the most titles in case of winning. It would break the tie with Uruguay of 15 trophies.
A nivel individual, Messi would have the record of being the player with the most goals in the history of the Copa América within a shot. He has 13 goals and is four behind his compatriot Norberto Méndez ‘Tucho’, who leads this classification.
The madness of playing another World Cup
His arrival at the World Cup in Mexico, the United States and Canada is unlikely, but not impossible. Lionel Scaloni already warned him and the possibility that he attends the next World Cup event is no longer ruled out. I would arrive at 39 years old and the difficult challenge of revalidating the title.
On an individual level, Messi would have a very nice challenge: surpass the 16 goals of Miroslav Klose and become the top scorer in World Cup history. Leo’s 13 goals situate him, to this day, in fourth position, only below the German and Müller’s 14 or Ronaldo Nazario’s 15. The only problem in this record is that Kylian Mbappé, at 24, has 12 goals.
The challenge that it could achieve and that, a priori, would be unattainable is the presence in six World Cup events, something never seen before. Those who add up to five with Leo either cannot or seem much further away from reaching that appointment in 2026.
The challenge with the national team extends, beyond the big tournaments, to a particular duel with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese is the footballer with the most goals in the history of the national teams. His 118 goals seem unattainable for Leo, who adds 98 after the World Cup. Everything will depend on how long his relationship with the albiceleste extends and if Cristiano continues adding goals to his record with the national team.
The Champions with PSG
At club level, Leo Messi’s objective does seem much clearer and closer, although no less difficult for that: to win the Champions League with PSG. It would be the first in the history of the French club and the second that a French team would conquer after the one achieved by Marseille in 1993.
To conquer it with the Parisian team, Messi would become part of the club of five, where there is a wide range of players who achieved it -madridistas all of them-. Gento’s six cups would already be a much more daring goal.
Besides, Leo is eleven goals behind the top scorer in the history of the Champions League. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo crosses the path of the Argentine again. The Portuguese adds 140 goals to Leo’s 129. Given the uncertainty of the future of his rival, a Messi playing two or three more editions of the European competition could reach or even exceed that figure.
The player with the most titles
To top off all these hypotheses, Messi can focus the last years of his career on achieving two other goals. The first is within reach: earning your eighth Ballon d’Or The World Cup in Qatar has opened the doors for it.
And secondly, and to close the circle of an incomparable career, becoming the player with the most titles in history. The World Cup has been his trophy number 42. On the horizon, his former teammate and friend Dani Alvescon 46 titles. Everything will depend on what we have left to enjoy Messi. Motivations to continue, of course, he has.
