Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has ruled out a future career in coaching as he admitted he is unsure whether he will play in the 2026 World Cup.

Messi is currently competing in the MLS playoffs after helping Inter Miami win the Supporters' Shield for the first time in their history.

The Argentina international recently helped Inter Miami win the first match in their three-game series against Atlanta United in round one of the playoffs.

Messi provided the assist for Jordi Alba to score the club's second goal in last Friday's home meeting with the Five Stripes.

Messi rules out coaching career

While he is fully focused on the playoffs, Messi has opened up about his future in an interview with journalist Fabrizio Romano for 433.

Messi was clear in his response when asked whether he would be open to coaching once he has called time on his playing career.

"I wouldn't like to be a coach, but I'm still not sure what I'd like to do in the future," Messi said.

"I value much more than before everything I do on a day-to-day basis, so I just think about playing, training and having fun."

Messi unsure about 2026 World Cup participation

After spending time on the sidelines, Messi made his return to the Argentina side in October, appearing in two qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The former Barcelona man featured in a 1-1 draw against Venezuela, before he scored a hat-trick and provided two assists in a resounding 6-0 win over Bolivia.

Although he may be participating in World Cup qualifying, Messi admits he is not sure whether he will still be playing when the tournament takes place in the summer of 2026.

"The truth is that I don't know, I've been asked several times, especially in Argentina," Messi said. "I hope to have a good end of the season and then a good pre-season, something I didn't have last season because of all the travelling we did.

"From there I want to see what happens, to realise how I feel. In football, a lot of things always happen. There is still a long way to go, so I'm not thinking too much about it. I'm going to live day to day without thinking too much about the future."

Messi will put the speculation over his future to one side when he features for Inter Miami in Saturday's clash with Atlanta United.

Tata Martino's side are looking to clinch the series with a game to spare as they continue their bid to bring the MLS Cup back to Miami.