Berlin, 18 October 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Argentina's World Cup winning captain Lionel Messi is not ruling out playing at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"I try not to get ahead of myself. I focus on enjoying each day. When the time comes, we'll see. I don't like to rush things. Hopefully, I can continue performing at this level because it makes me happy," Messi was quoted by the Marca newspaper on Friday.

Messi, 37, was speaking at a special ceremony, in which he was presented with a trophy recognizing him as the most decorated player in football history.

He emphasized that he's more focused on staying in top form rather than worrying about future milestones.

"I concentrate more on feeling good now, making sure I'm happy and playing well. Whether I'll make it to the 2026 World Cup or not... we'll see when the time comes," he said.

Messi also stressed that "I didn't come to the US to retire." The former Barcelona star left Paris Saint-Germain in July 2023 to join MLS side Inter Miami.

"I came to help build something special with this club. We've been fortunate to win more titles, and we're still hungry for more," he said.

Messi has won the Champions League four times with Barcelona, led the Spanish team to 10 La Liga titles between 2005 and 2021 and won the prestigious Ballon D'Or eight times.

He completed his trophy cabinet with Argentina's 2022 World Cup win.

MIA file photo