“You can never imagine the national team without Messi” - Argentina star wants Lionel Messi to be eternal and ‘always play’ for nation

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios has wished for Argentina teammate Lionel Messi to play for eternity.

The Inter Miami sensation is now in the latter stages of his career, and many expect the 36-year-old to hang up his boots soon. For now, Messi will be representing his national team at the Copa America in the summer.

He has also dropped hints of potentially being available for the 2026 World Cup title defense. Palacios, who was a part of the World Cup-winning team in Qatar in 2022, told Reuters (via GOAL):

"For now, let's not talk about Messi not continuing. You can never imagine the national team without Messi. We all want him to be eternal and always play with us."

Messi and Palacios have played 21 matches together across competitions for La Albiceleste but are yet to record a joint goal contribution. Over the years, the former Barcelona man has been extremely pivotal to Argentina's success.

At the World Cup in 2022, Messi scored seven goals and assisted three while being awarded the Golden Ball, a prize given to the tournament's best player. Overall, he's made 180 appearances across competitions for the South American country, bagging 106 goals and 56 assists.

Messi has one Copa America trophy to his name and will be looking to add to that tally in the summer.

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Lionel Messi opens up about retirement plans

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi opened up about when he plans to retire while speaking in an interview in March this year. The MLS star turns 37 in June, an age by which several athletes decide to call it a day.

However, Messi is clear that he will announce retirement once his love for the game dies and the Argentine is no longer able to help his teammates. He said (via EUROSPORT):

"I know that the moment I feel that I am no longer able to perform, that I no longer enjoy or help my teammates, I will quit. I'm very self-critical, I know when I'm good, when I'm bad, when I'm playing well, and when I'm playing badly.

"When I feel like it's time to take that step, I'll take it without thinking about age. If I feel good, I'll always try to keep competing because it's what I like and what I know to do."

Currently, Messi is contracted with Inter Miami till December 2025. He continues to perform well and has scored 11 goals, while assisting six from 10 appearances this season.