The Next Generation — Under-21 Players Who Will Define the Late 2020s
Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland are already established. Who comes next? Twelve under-21 players who will define football from 2027 onward.
Messi was a champion in Qatar 2022. At 39, he's almost certainly playing his last World Cup in 2026. What changes for Argentina, and what to watch.
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Complete World Cup 2026 schedule with kickoff times auto-adjusted to your timezone. All 48 nations, 12 groups, knockout bracket, plus how to subscribe via Google / Apple / Outlook calendar.
Japan's road to World Cup 2026: full Group F schedule (Netherlands, Tunisia, Sweden), key players to watch, and the Samurai Blue's pursuit of a first quarterfinal.
Region-by-region World Cup 2026 broadcast guide: Fox + Telemundo (US), BBC + ITV (UK), TSN (Canada), Optus + SBS (Australia), and more. VPN options for fans abroad.
Subscribe to a live World Cup 2026 calendar feed that auto-updates when fixtures shift. Step-by-step setup for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook.
See also: KOC Lionel Messi player profile.
Lionel Messi will turn 39 on June 24, 2026, while defending Argentina's World Cup title. Almost no player in tournament history has been the captain, top scorer, and Player of the Tournament — and never twice in a row. Messi has done the first three; the fourth is what 2026 asks him to do again.
In 2022, Messi:
That run defined the late-Messi era. He's played a full La Liga / MLS season since, plus Copa America 2024 (won), plus 2025 friendlies and qualifiers.
Three things:
Names to watch:
If Argentina win, Messi gets a sixth Ballon d'Or and arguably the most decorated career in football history. If they lose in the knockouts, the conversation pivots immediately: who carries Argentina post-Messi?
Argentina's group, R32, R16, and possible knockout fixtures all live in the World Cup 2026 feed. Or filter to your favourite players with KOC's player follow — Messi's matches drop in automatically.
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. Diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at age 10, he found the treatment that allowed him to keep playing when, at 13, FC Barcelona offered him a place at La Masia and famously signed his contract on a paper napkin. He made his senior Barcelona debut in 2004 at age 17 and went on to spend 17 seasons at Camp Nou. His most dominant period came under Pep Guardiola (2008-2012), winning four consecutive Ballon d'Or awards. Across his Barcelona career he made over 700 appearances, scored more than 670 club goals, and won 10 La Liga and 4 Champions League titles.
When Barcelona's financial crisis forced his departure in 2021, Messi joined PSG on a free transfer and won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles. In July 2023 he made the landmark move to Inter Miami CF, won the 2025 MLS Cup and was named MLS Most Valuable Player in both 2024 and 2025. For Argentina he captains the side, ended a 28-year drought at the 2021 Copa América and crowned his career by lifting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He holds a record eight Ballon d'Or awards (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) and over 46 senior team trophies. In 2025 he became the first footballer to receive the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.
→ See the full KOC player profile for stats and fixtures.