Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Dec 14: Lionel Messi said that he will retire following the December 18 FIFA World Cup 2022 championship game. The Argentine captain announced that the summit match would be his final in the sky and white stripes after scoring from the penalty spot and contributing equally to Julian Alvarez’s other two goals against Croatia to advance his nation to the final.
“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,” he added.
The 35-year-old is participating in his fifth World Cup, surpassing Javier Mascherano and Diego Maradona’s four. He also eclipsed Gabriel Batistuta, who had 11 goals for the Albiceleste at World Cups, with his fifth goal in Qatar.
In front of a large crowd at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium, the PSG forward put up a performance that many regarded as his greatest in recent memory. This will be Messi’s final opportunity to win the World Cup before he hangs up his boots. He had lost to Germany in Brazil in 2014 and come in second place.
Following Tuesday’s victory, thousands of Argentineans took to the streets to commemorate the country’s sixth World Cup final appearance. Argentina will compete in the championship match against either the Group D winners, France, or the Group F winners, Morocco.
