Lionel Messi has announced that the World Cup in Qatar next month will be the last of his career. The 35-year-old Argentina star is set to compete in his fifth World Cup, however, he has yet to win the tournament.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward opened up about his plans for after the competition, which begins on Nov. 20, for the first time.
Messi says this will likely be his final World Cup 🥺 pic.twitter.com/wAhH30qzDO
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 6, 2022
Messi was, however, vague when asked if he planned to leave the national team after Qatar.
Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986. On November 22, the team will face Saudi Arabia in Group C’s opening match, followed by matches against Mexico and Poland.
“There’s some anxiety and nerves at the same time. It is the last one,” Messi said in an interview with Star Plus.
“I don’t know whether we are big favorites, but I believe Argentina is a candidate because of its history, which means even more now because of the way we got here.
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“But in a World Cup anything can happen, all the matches are very difficult. It isn’t always the favorites who win it,” Messi added.
At 35, Messi choosing not to hold out for the 2026 World Cup comes as little surprise. But the announcement further cements the idea that this year’s tournament will mark the end of an era.
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