Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 7: In a major declaration, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi stated that the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will ‘definitely’ be his last. This will be his fifth World Cup.
“It’s my last World Cup, surely,” said Lionel Messi.
“I’m counting down the days to the World Cup. There is anxiety and nerves at the same time. Wanting it to be now, what is going to happen, and ultimately, how is it going to go?” Messi said while speaking to ESPN.
Messi has yet to help Argentina win a World Cup. The 2014 World Cup final between Argentina and Germany, which Germany won by a lone goal, was the closest he ever came to winning the tournament for his team. The Argentina legend said that he is anxious about making his final appearance on the biggest stage in international football.
Argentina, a two-time World Cup champion, has been drawn into Group C and will face Saudi Arabia in their opening game. Argentina last won a World Cup in 1986, and before that, it did so in 1978.
“In a World Cup, anything can happen. All the matches are very tough. The favourites don’t always end up winning. I don’t know if we’re the favourites, but Argentina is always a candidate because of its history. Now even more so because of the moment, we’re in, but we are not the favourites. I think there are other teams that are above us,” Messi further said.
Notably, Messi made his international debut in 2005 and has gone on to make a total of 164 appearances for his country, scoring 90 goals.