Lionel Messi confirms 2022 World Cup will be his last

Lionel Messi, the PSG superstar, has confirmed that this year’s World Cup in Qatar will be his final.

The 35-year-old made the announcement about his future with the Argentina national team on Thursday, October 6.

‘This will be my last World Cup — for sure. The decision has been made,’ he told Argentine journalist Sebastian Vignolo.

Messi is set to play in his fifth World Cup in Qatar.

Messi’s record for Argentina stands at 90 goals in 164 games, making him the third-highest goalscorer ever in men’s international football behind Cristiano Ronaldo (117) and Iran’s Ali Daei (109). 

Messi announced his retirement from international football in 2016 after losing in the Copa America final against Chile, but he quickly reversed his decision and has remained the captain of the team ever since.

“I would like to be the sporting director of a club, to build a team, to accompany the coaches, but I’m not sure about that.”

“Becoming a coach? I don’t really intend to be a coach, but Zidane said exactly that and after that, he became a coach and won the Champions League 3 times.”

“If I weren’t, I would always have the thorn of the lost finals, of not having been able to consecrate myself with Argentina and at that moment, in that image in which you see me kneeling, I thought… ‘It is done’.”

“When we won Copa América I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t know how to explain it but it was like saying… ‘That’s it, what I needed was given’… it was one of the goals I needed to try to close everything.”

“I never think about what happened or what I achieved. I’m always looking forward, I think about what’s coming, what can we become in the opportunity we have and what it would be in the future.”

“I’m counting days for the World Cup, there is a little anxiety and nerves of wanting it to be already. I don’t think Argentina are top favorites, because there are some teams who are above us, but we will fight against anyone.”

“I never set out to be the best player in history. I think I’m just another player. On the pitch we are all the same and when the game starts I always try to improve myself.”