Qatar: Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi, who recently also became their highest goal scorer in the Fifa World Cup finals, has confirmed that he will hang up his boots from international football after the final of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 on Sunday.
“I feel very happy, to be able to achieve this, to finish my World Cup journey by playing my last game in a final,” Messi told Argentine media outlet Diario Deportivo Ole.
“It’s many years for the next one and I don’t think I’ll be able to do it. And to finish like this, it’s the best,” added the Argentina captain.
Argentina have not won the World Cup since Diego Maradona led La Albiceleste to glory in 1986. Messi came close in 2014 but lost to Germany in extra time. Now, Argentina are once again in the final of the tournament after eight years.
Messi had announced before the tournament started that this would be his last World Cup. He reaffirmed this after the semi-final victory over Croatia where he managed to score as well as provide an assist.
Considered one the greatest to have graced the beautiful game, 35-year-old Messi, in recent times has often spoken about two major goals. One, winning the Fifa World Cup and two, again winning the UEFA Champions League, two of the most coveted trophies in the sport.
Messi is playing at his fifth World Cup, surpassing the four of Diego Maradona and Javier Mascherano.
With his fifth goal in Qatar, he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as the top Albiceleste scorer at World Cups, netting 11 times.
“It’s all well and good (the records), but the important thing is to be able to achieve the group objective, which is the most beautiful thing of all,” Messi added. “We’re just one step away, after fighting hard, and we’re going to give everything to try to make it happen this time.
