The 36-year-old has until now remained non-committal about his plans to continue playing for the Albiceleste and admitted in June that he was \"almost at the end of his career\", reports Xinhua. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite wanting to play on in the short term, the Inter Miami forward said the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico remained a distant prospect.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I still don't think about it, it's far away,\" Messi said in an interview published on social media on Thursday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I'm thinking about the Copa America, and I want to do well. And it will be right here in the United States. It's going to be beautiful. We already had the centenary [edition of the Copa America in 2016] here too. We lost the final [to Chile], but the process was beautiful. After that I'll see how I'm doing.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Messi has scored 11 goals in 12 appearances for Inter Miami since joining the Major League Soccer (MLS) club on a free transfer in July.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In August he guided the Florida outfit to the Leagues Cup title -- the club's first trophy -- and has sparked a resurgence in the MLS.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Having arrived when Inter Miami were last in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, Messi has given the club a chance of reaching the playoffs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In a wide-ranging interview, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star said he would like to remain involved in football after ending his playing days.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Football is a job, and I am lucky to do a job that I love,\" he said. \"I have responsibilities and targets, but it is still something that I enjoy doing. What will I do next? I don't know. I would like to be a sports director, to be with young people and teach.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lionel-messi-wants-to-play-in-2024-copa-america.jpg", "alt_img": "Lionel Messi wants to play in 2024 Copa America", "alt_title": "Messi in doubt for Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Lionel Messi Wants To Play In 2024 Copa America On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Lionel Messi Wants To Play In 2024 Copa America, Major League Soccer: Argentina captain Lionel Messi has expressed a desire to extend his international career at least until next.", "seo_keywords": "Lionel Messi, Copa America, United States, Inter Miami, World Cup, Major League Soccer, In August, Leagues Cup, MLS Eastern Conference, Paris Saint", "tag": "", "tagging": "Lionel Messi, Copa America, United States, Inter Miami, World Cup, Major League Soccer, In August, Leagues Cup, MLS Eastern Conference, Paris Saint", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "lionel-messi-wants-to-play-in-2024-copa-america", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "1194", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2023-09-22 12:50:04", "updated": "2023-09-22 12:50:04", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Lionel Messi, Copa America, United States, Inter Miami, World Cup, Major League Soccer, In August, Leagues Cup, MLS Eastern Conference, Paris Saint", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2023-09-22 12:50:04", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "0", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "sports_name": "football", "cnmid": "796717", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/sports-news\/lionel-messi-wants-to-play-in-2024-copa-america-8739" }