When asked about the possibility of Messi returning to play for Argentina’s Olympic team, Mascherano replied that of course, the door to the Olympic selection is always wide open for Leo. As his close friend, Mascherano would be thrilled if Messi were to play. However, they first need to make it through the qualifying rounds.
Mascherano’s football team is set to participate in the qualifying round from mid-January to early February 2024. Argentina is placed in Group B alongside Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru, while Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, and Ecuador are in Group A. The top two teams from each group will advance to the second stage of the tournament. The two teams that finish at the top of the second stage will represent the South American region at the 2024 Olympics in France in July. Both stages of the tournament will be played in a round-robin format.
The Chairman of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, has expressed his desire for Messi to participate in the Olympics once again. In 2008, in Beijing (China), Messi won a gold medal. “It would be amazing if Messi could compete in the 2024 Olympics,” Bach said. “The Olympics are the ambition of many soccer stars, like Kylian Mbappe. For Messi, this means an opportunity to rewrite history. He could become the only player in history to win two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup.”
In addition to his Olympic gold medal in 2008, Messi has also won the U20 World Cup in 2005, Copa America 2021, Continental Super Cup 2022, World Cup 2022, four Champions Leagues, 10 La Liga titles, two Ligue 1 titles, and seven Ballon d’Or awards. On October 30th, Messi may win his eighth Ballon d’Or award.
In 2024, it is highly likely that Messi will participate in Copa America with the Argentinian national team in the United States, from June 20 to July 14. Two weeks later, the Olympic Games will take place. If he decides to participate in both competitions, it could impact his recovery time and physical fitness.
Mascherano played alongside Messi for eight years at Barca and 13 years for the Argentinean national team. The two legends won four La Liga titles, four Copa del Rey trophies, two Champions League titles, and a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics together. Mascherano also won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, before Messi started playing. The Olympic team consists of U23 players and three overage players.
