Lionel Messi is closing in on a historic milestone—his sixth World Cup appearance—but the Argentine legend has more than records on his mind. He's also hoping to see his close friend and former teammate, Neymar, on the biggest stage in Qatar.

Messi and Neymar shared the pitch as teammates at Barcelona and later at Paris Saint-Germain, forging a bond that goes beyond football. Now, as the World Cup approaches, Messi is openly rooting for the Brazilian star to be there—even if it means facing him as a rival.

"If Neymar has to go to the World Cup? I can't be very objective because he's my friend," Messi said in a recent interview. "Obviously, I would love for him to go, for good things to happen to him because he deserves it. At World Cups, we always want the best to be there. And Ney, as long as he's playing, will always be one of them."

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner didn't stop there. He also put Brazil among the top contenders for the title, noting that the Seleção is "always a contender" on the global stage.

Messi is set to make his sixth World Cup appearance, a record he will share with longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa. The trio have been ever-present since the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Speaking about his storied rivalry with Ronaldo, Messi was quick to clarify that the competition never crossed into personal territory. "What existed was a very beautiful sporting rivalry," he said. "I was at Barcelona, he was at Real Madrid, and we competed for everything. But our relationship was always good and respectful. There was never anything personal."

As the countdown to the World Cup continues, fans can only hope to see both Messi and Neymar—and perhaps even a final chapter in the Messi-Ronaldo saga—on the grandest stage of all.