Lionel Messi has revealed that this year’s tournament in Qatar will be the final World Cup of his career.
On Thursday Messi shocked the footballing world by announcing that his future with the Argentina national team will be halted after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The 35-year-old told Argentine journalist Sebastian Vignolo “Surely this will be my last World. The decision has been made,”
Messi will be having his last shot at the this year’s tournament, having featured in the last five World Cups scoring four goals.
In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Messi led Argentina to the final but lost to Germany by a loan goal following 120 minutes of intense football. Perhaps they made it up by the lifting the Copa America last year in the same country where they lost the World Cup.
It is instructive to note that this is not the first time Messi took such a decision — following Argentina’s defeat to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final, he announced his retirement from international football back then but quickly rescinded his decision and has since been with the team.
Messi has managed 90 goals in 164 games, for his country making him the third-highest goalscorer ever in men’s international football behind Cristiano Ronaldo (117) and Iran’s Ali Daei (109).