“Football is very changeable” – Lionel Messi offer cryptic response when asked if 2022 FIFA World Cup will be his last
Lionel Messi has failed to give a definitive answer over his international future following the FIFA World Cup later this year.
The 34-year-old forward is set to compete in his fifth World Cup this winter. He previously announced in 2016 that he would be retiring from international football.
The Argentina captain later went back on his decision. He was a part of the side that won the 2021 Copa America, ending a near 30-year trophy drought for the South American giants.
Almost 50,000 fans attended Argentina’s open training today in Bilbao. Everyone wants to watch Messi kick the ball. They still adore him in Spain 🇦🇷🐐✅ https://t.co/j0h043sq9z
The FIFA World Cup is the one trophy that has alluded Messi so far in his legendary career. The closest Messi came was in 2014 when Argentina lost to Germany 1-0 in the final after extra-time at the Maracana.
Albiceleste have been drawn in a group that also includes Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland. Ahead of the Qatari tournament, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner told TyC Sport:
"The other time I said that after the World Cup I had to rethink many things and I don't know. The truth is that I think about this and then I'll see."
"Look what happened now, I never imagined that I would end up playing somewhere other than Barcelona and from one day to the next I had to leave. A lot of things can happen, football is very changeable. And honestly, it seems very difficult but I'm not clear on anything."
The PSG forward has scored 81 goals in 160 career appearances for Argentina, who will be searching for their first triumph in the tournament since 1986.
Leo Messi: “The group is amazing, we’re feeling very good. It's always a joy to come here, we said the same thing a while ago and I think you see it on TV and on social networks.” @TyCSports 🇦🇷 https://t.co/2HHg0OCvCc
Will Messi finally break FIFA World Cup jinx in Qatar?
Messi played his first World Cup game as a 19-year-old at the 2006 edition in Germany. It is no secret that the iconic forward is desperate to follow in Diego Maradona's footsteps and deliver his nation the biggest prize in international football.
Messi is generally considered to have underperformed at his previous tournaments, having scored six goals in 19 World Cup games. He has, however, failed to ever score in any of the knockout games he has competed in.
The Barcelona icon did win the Golden Ball (awarded to the tournament's best player) in 2014 despite his side falling agonizingly short in the final.
No South American side has won the competition since 2002. Argentina will be desperate to do better than their dismal showing in the 2018 edition, where they were knocked out in the second round by eventual winners France.
Leo Messi tells @TyCSports: “Next season will be way better for me with Paris Saint-Germain, I’m sure. It was not easy after that crazy summer”. 🇦🇷 #PSG
“It was really difficult to understand what happened, I wasn’t expecting to leave Barcelona - it was a shock”.