Barcelona midfielder Gavi has expressed his support for Lionel Messi-led Argentina as the frontrunners to win the 2026 World Cup.
The Spaniard played 77 minutes in the El Clasico at Camp Nou, where Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 2-0 to secure the Spanish title for the second consecutive year.
In a conversation with D Sports, as shared by All About Argentina on X, reporters asked him about the forthcoming World Cup.
The 21-year-old was unable to participate in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph due to injury but is now prepared to represent La Roja at the World Cup next month.
Although Spain enters the tournament as the reigning European champions, Gavi does not consider them the outright favourites to lift the trophy.
Instead, he backed Lionel Messi and reigning world champions Argentina as the strongest contenders.
Gavi believes the Barcelona legend remains the best player in the world and insisted that Argentina would remain the best team as long as Messi is part of the squad.
He said, “Argentina are the biggest favourites for the World Cup because they are the current champions.
“Leo Messi is the best player in the world, and as long as he is on the field, they will be the best team.”
Recently, Lionel Messi became the fastest player to reach 100 goal contributions in Major League Soccer (MLS).
He scored and provided two assists in a 4-2 victory over Toronto FC, reaching the milestone in just 64 regular-season MLS matches, 31 games fewer than the previous record holder, Sebastian Giovinco.
World Cup 2026: ‘As long as he’s still playing’ – Gavi names country to win trophy
