'He only cares about the team' – Aguero opens up on Messi's mentality

Former Argentina striker Sergio Aguero has revealed that Lionel Messi's biggest motivation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is helping Argentina achieve collective success rather than chasing individual honours.

With Argentina preparing for a crucial World Cup semi-final, Aguero praised his former international teammate's leadership, humility and relentless desire to win for his country.

Messi has once again been at the heart of Argentina's impressive World Cup campaign, inspiring the defending champions to the last four with a series of outstanding performances.

Despite being level at the top of the tournament's scoring chart with eight goals, Aguero believes individual accolades are the least of Messi's concerns.

"Leo is the team's leader and he keeps surprising everyone. What Leo is doing is incredible no matter how you look at it," Aguero said.

The former Manchester City striker insisted Messi's mentality has always centred on team achievements.

He added, "Just being at this semi-final stage is a huge achievement, although it doesn't surprise me. We all know his competitive spirit and his quality. But I'm sure what matters most to him is that the team achieves its goals, not his individual records."

The 39-year-old captain has enjoyed another remarkable tournament. Messi has scored eight goals during the competition, including a memorable hat-trick against Algeria in the group stage.