Lionel Messi says 2022 World Cup in Qatar will 'surely' be his last
Lionel Messi
Argentina captain Lionel Messi said on Thursday (October 6) that the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar will "surely" be the last of his career.
In the interview, the 35-year-old told ESPN-Argentina that he was nervous about the tournament in Qatar. The interview took place in Paris where Messi plays for Paris Saint-Germain.
He said: "It's my last World Cup, surely. I feel good physically, I was able to do a very good pre-season this year, which I couldn't do last year."
"It was essential to get to where I am, with a good state of mind and a lot of hope," he further said, adding that "there is anxiety, nerves about the World Cup. We can't wait for it to start."
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Messi will appear in his fifth World Cup. He made his international debut in 2007 and has since won 164 caps for Argentina. Messi is also the country's all-time record scorer with a total of 90 goals.
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In 2005, Messi made his international debut when he entered the field as a substitute against Hungary. His debut appearance lasted for just two minutes before he was sent off.
That was just the start as the legendary footballer established himself in the national team set-up and travelled to Germany for his first World Cup in 2006.
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After that, Messi played in the 2010 edition in South Africa, in 2014 (Brazil), where Argentina reached the final, and also in 2018 (Russia).
In the upcoming showpiece tournament, Argentina will start its campaign as one of the pre-tournament favourites as the current side has now gone 35 games without defeat under the management of Lionel Scaloni.
Messi said: "We have reached a good moment, with a very well-equipped and very strong group, but anything can happen. All the games are very difficult. The favourites are not always the ones who end up winning or taking the path that one expected.
"Argentina is always a candidate because of its history and what it means. But we are not the only favourites, there are other teams that are above us," he added.
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