Juan Sebastián Verón has weighed in on Argentina's outlook for the 2026 World Cup, raising doubts about how much Lionel Messi can realistically carry this summer. The 38-year-old enters the tournament healthy after recovering from his latest injury with Inter Miami, but Verón believes age is beginning to show and Argentina must be smart about how they use their superstar.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni still sees Messi as the centerpiece of his system. Verón, however, cautioned against assuming Messi can repeat his heroic 2022 run.
We need to be careful with Messi and this World Cup. If we think he can play every match from start to finish… I'm not so sure.
I think you have to help him and he also has to let himself be helped. That part is difficult too…
Verón highlighted three players he believes must shoulder more responsibility to help Messi shine. He also praised rising talents like Nico Paz and Flaco López, noting that Argentina's depth will be crucial as the tournament progresses.
Verón compared today's squad with the one he led in 2002. The key difference, he said is that Scaloni's team arrives with the confidence of having already major titles, including the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup.
If you look at the national team, it arrives different than ours in 2002, carrying an emotional burden because they come off winning the Copa América and the World Cup. The team shed that weight and arrived at the right moment.
That winning pedigree, Verón argued, puts Argentina in a strong position to defend its world title.
