Lionel Messi says November’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar will “surely” be his last.
The 35-year-old Paris St-Germain forward has played at four World Cups with Argentina, scoring six goals and making five assists in 19 appearances.
He earned a runners-up medal in 2014, and after captaining his country to the Copa America title in 2021, the World Cup is the sole major trophy missing from Messi’s illustrious collection.
Messi made his international debut in 2005 and has gone on to make a total of 164 appearances for Argentina, scoring 90 goals.
This year’s Tournament will be his fifth World Cup, and he will surpass the previous record for an Argentina player he jointly held with Diego Maradona and Javier Mascherano.
Argentina are ranked third in the FIFA world rankings, and will play against Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland in Group C at the World Cup, which starts on 20th November.
Football broadcaster, Juan Arango says the announcement wasn’t a surprise, and that Messi’s final World Cup could be a triumphant one.
