Lionel Messi Celebrates 39th Birthday Training with Argentina for World Cup

Lionel Messi marked his 39th birthday on Wednesday with his usual focus: training on the football pitch with the Argentine national team as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

After a day filled with birthday wishes, the star player joined his teammates for a practice session at the Sporting Kansas City training center. He was accompanied by close colleagues like Rodrigo de Paul, Lisandro Martínez, and Nicolás Otamendi. During the 15 minutes the press could observe, Messi, the team captain, seemed cheerful.

While the public training session didn't feature a special reception, the team had privately organized surprises for the player's anniversary. These celebrations were shared on social media by Messi and his teammates, including a cake ceremony the previous night. On Wednesday, each player surprised Messi by wearing a jersey commemorating a special moment they shared with him.

Argentina has already advanced to the knockout stage of the tournament. They are set to play their final group game against Jordan on Saturday. Coach Lionel Scaloni will use another closed-door training session on Thursday to finalize the lineup for this match, potentially giving starts to players like Julián Álvarez or Leandro Paredes.