Lionel Messi didn’t shy away from nostalgia or praise when speaking about Pep Guardiola, the coach under whom he enjoyed the most dominant stretch of his career at FC Barcelona. Now the star of Inter Miami, a team aiming for the MLS title in a final against Vancouver, led by Thomas Müller, the Argentine reflected on Guardiola’s influence in an interview with ESPN and also discussed Argentina’s path toward the 2026 World Cup.

For Messi, there is no possible comparison: Guardiola goes beyond the label of “best coach.” “For me, he’s unique. There are extraordinary managers, but he has something different. He’s the most complete in everything: how he analyzes matches, how he prepares every detail, how he communicates what he wants,” he said. The forward emphasized that the success of the current Manchester City manager is not only about trophies, but about the style and identity he brings to every team he coaches.

The road to 2026: excitement, warnings and a slow transition

Messi also spoke about the current state of the Argentina National Team, which will arrive at the World Cup defending the crown won in Qatar. The captain is still hopeful of playing the tournament and believes the team can compete for back-to-back titles, though he issued a warning based on experience: World Cups are decided by details. He recalled the knockout ties against the Netherlands and France, where Argentina was superior but ended up advancing through penalties thanks to the decisive role of Emiliano Martínez.

Argentina heads into the World Cup after a dominant qualification campaign in South America. Lionel Scaloni’s side finished as leaders with 38 points, the result of twelve wins, two draws and four losses, with Messi as the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals. Among the high points of the cycle were the 4-1 win over Brazil and the emotional farewell of Ángel Di María in the match against Chile.

Despite this dominance, the generational transition is progressing inconsistently. Players like Thiago Almada, now at Atlético de Madrid, have established themselves as real creative alternatives. Other young talents such as Nicolás Paz, Giuliano Simeone and Franco Mastantuono have shown flashes of quality, though without continuity. The main concern remains the defense: Scaloni still hasn’t found solid replacements for veterans like Nicolás Tagliafico, Nicolás Otamendi or Nahuel Molina.

With a championship core still intact and several new faces pushing for opportunities, Argentina will head into 2026 with its ambition unchanged. And, according to Messi, with one certainty: titles aren’t won with talent alone, but with the resilience forged through the smallest details.