Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, stated on October 6 that his career will ‘certainly’ end at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The 35-year-old expressed his anxiety on the competition in Qatar in the interview with ESPN-Argentina. Messi, who represents Paris Saint-Germain, was the subject of the interview, which was held there.
He stated, ‘Surely, this is my last World Cup. I’m in good physical shape, and this year, unlike last year, I was able to have a very successful preseason. There is anxiousness and nervousness over the World Cup, he continued, adding that ‘getting to where I am with a positive attitude and a lot of hope was vital’. We can’t wait for it to begin’.
Messi will make his fifth World Cup appearance. He made his debut for Argentina in 2007 and has since earned 164 caps for the country. With a total of 90 goals, Messi holds the record for most goals scored in a single season in the nation. Messi earned his international debut in 2005 when he came on as a substitute against Hungary. Only two minutes into his debut performance, he was dismissed.
The renowned footballer quickly rose through the ranks of the national squad, and in 2006, he made his first World Cup appearance in Germany. After that, Messi participated in the 2010 South African edition, the 2014 Brazil edition, where Argentina reached the final, and the 2018 edition (Russia). Argentina will begin its campaign as one of the pre-tournament favourites in the 2017 championship since the current squad has gone 35 games without a loss under manager Lionel Scaloni.
Despite having a very strong group that is well-equipped, Messi added, ‘Anything can happen. We have reached a nice point. They are all really challenging games. It’s not always the case that the favourites win or proceed in the way that one anticipates. Due to its significance and historical background, Argentina is a perennial contender. However, there are other clubs that rank above us; we are not the sole favourites’, he continued.
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