Lionel Messi Intensifies 2026 World Cup Preparations With Extra Training Revealed By Rodrigo De Paul Amid Inter Miami Duties

Buenos Aires: Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Argentina teammate Rodrigo de Paul has revealed the legendary footballer's training regime leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, where the maestro would be aiming to defend the most prestigious title in football.

Despite having achieved it all at club and international level in terms of individual and team honours', Messi's work behind the scenes has increased more than ever, with the 38-year-old eyeing his second FIFA World Cup.

As per De Paul, Messi, who also captains Inter Miami, has a double training session as a part of his daily routine, which is beyond his standard commitments with the club.

Speaking to Lo del Pollo as quoted by Goal.com, De Paul revealed that this training plan has been in place since a long while, saying, "Between two and three months ago, we had a training plan beyond what we do at the club and the two of us kill ourselves to reach the best physical shape. We proposed a double shift for ourselves and we have our trainer there and we give it our all."

No wonder why Messi is still at his absolute majestic in his late 30s. In the Major League Soccer season 2026 so far, Messi has been magical for his club, having scored 12 goals in 12 matches and delivering six assists so far.

Messi has his World Cup preparations in full swing as he contributed with a goal and an assist to help Inter Miami secure a 2-0 win over Portland Timbers in their Major League Soccer (MLS) match on Monday morning.

Inter Miami stays at the second spot in the competition with their eighth win, having drawn four and losing three, giving them 28 points. They are just two points away from table-toppers Nashville.

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