Argentina’s Lionel Messi is preparing to embark on his sixth and likely final FIFA World Cup campaign, marking two decades since his debut at the tournament. The competition, beginning late tonight, will see Messi reach a significant milestone as his appearance against Algeria will be his 200th for the national team.

Since making his World Cup debut in 2006 as Argentina’s youngest player at 18 years and 357 days old, Messi has experienced a career marked by both personal milestones and national heartache. In his first tournament, he entered during a group stage match against Serbia and Montenegro, contributing a crucial assist and scoring a right-footed goal, becoming the sixth youngest scorer in World Cup history. Despite early promise, the Argentine team fell short of replicating the success of previous generations.

Over the next four tournaments, Argentina’s World Cup journey saw setbacks and near misses. The team was eliminated on penalties by Germany in 2006 and suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to the same opponents in 2010 under then-coach Diego Maradona. As captain in 2014, Messi and Argentina endured a narrow loss to Germany in the final, followed by a round-of-16 exit to eventual champions France in 2018. It was only in 2022, with Lionel Scaloni—Messi’s 2006 teammate—coaching, that Argentina finally reclaimed the title, defeating France in a widely celebrated final.

Now 38 years old and playing club football with Inter Miami in the United States, Messi faces questions about his fitness following a recent hamstring injury. However, he demonstrated his readiness by coming off the bench in Argentina’s final warm-up match against Iceland, successfully converting a penalty and becoming the country’s oldest World Cup scorer. Reflecting on his condition, Messi expressed optimism about his form and enthusiasm for the tournament ahead.

Argentina enters the World Cup not only as defending champions but also as winners of the 2024 Copa America, positioning them among the favorites once again. Messi acknowledged the challenges of winning the tournament, noting that no nation has successfully defended the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. Nevertheless, he emphasized the team’s determination and excitement: “We’ll take it step by step as always but with a lot of desire, excitement and belief in what we’re capable of. Fans should have no doubt that we’ll give it everything, as we always have — like every time I’ve been part of the national team.”

As Messi seeks to close his World Cup career on a high note, Argentina aims to navigate the tournament with both the experience of past disappointments and the confidence of recent triumphs guiding their quest for back-to-back titles.