PARIS — Lionel Messi will turn 39 during the upcoming World Cup and could have been forgiven for quitting international football after leading Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, but he remains his country’s talisman as they aim to retain the trophy in North America.

The Barcelona legend somehow found another level three and a half years ago as he scored seven goals and set up three more in seven games, including a brace in the epic final in Doha against France — when he also converted his penalty in the shoot-out which gave Argentina the trophy.

“Obviously I wanted to finish my career with this. I can’t ask for any more,” Messi said after that triumph, which seemed to mark the completion of his glorious career.

But he did admit he would like to play on a little longer as a world champion, and in the end he kept going all the way to this year’s tournament.

It will be a record sixth World Cup for Messi, and the decision to delay his retirement will have been a relief for coach Lionel Scaloni.

There is no need, yet, to try to somehow find a replacement for arguably the greatest player of all time.

“There can’t be. There won’t be. There won’t be an heir to Messi, for sure,” Scaloni said in an interview with Flashscore in September.

Messi is obviously not the player he once was, having left Europe in 2023 following an underwhelming two-season spell at Paris Saint-Germain.

He is no longer playing at the very highest level on a weekly basis — indeed, Messi has not played in a Uefa Champions League knockout tie victory since 2020.

However, he is in fine form in Major League Soccer for Inter Miami, for whom he has 13 goals in 16 games in 2026 after helping them win the MLS Cup last year.

Assuming he overcomes a slight hamstring injury which recently forced him off against Philadelphia Union, Messi will lead Argentina into their opening game at the tournament when they play Algeria in Kansas City on June 16.