After clinching a spot in the finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi confirmed that he will be retiring after this year’s tournament. Hours after crushing Croatia’s dream for a World Cup championship, Argentina’s captain and arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Messi will be hanging his cleats on the international stage once and for all regardless if he wins or not. At his age, he most likely won’t be fit to play for Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the next four years, he may still be playing in any major football league, but “The Magician” will be about 39 years old.
“I feel very happy to be able to achieve this, to finish my World Cup journey by playing my last game in a final,” Lionel 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,” Messi added.
Yesterday, the Messi-led Argentina team defeated Croatia featuring Luka Modric, 3-0. Subsequently, they will be facing whoever wins between Morocco and France on Sunday, December 18, 2022. The match will be held in Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard time.
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Even though this is already his 5th trip to the World Cup competition, he is yet to win his first-ever championship.
The 35-year-old superstar brought Argentina to the finals before – back in 2014 – but lost to the Germans. Now, he is once again knocking at the door to win the title but he may face his most formidable opponent in the tourney yet, the heavy title favorites, France. Led by the Golden Ball candidate, Kyllian Mbappe, France is looking to win it all this year and become the back-to-back champs.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltfV4-W8h3M
Despite the odds, Lionel Messi is still an offensive threat and cannot be taken lightly by any team. Because Cristiano Ronaldo was already eliminated from the tournament, Leo Messi may be able to solidify his GOAT status if he wins the World Cup championship match.
Will Messi retire for good?
According to Messi himself, he is still focusing on the finals. But, after the event, he will be reassessing his path. “La Pulga” has already concluded his stint with Paris Saint-Germain FC wherein he played alongside Mbappe and Neymar Jr. Rumor has it that he may be returning to Barcelona. He may be ending his international journey, but he is most likely to stick around.
On the other hand, the former Manchester United forward and Portugal superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, is yet to find his next home.
After a sour departure from Man Utd and being eliminated in the World Cup quarterfinals, CR7 has not shared if he is retiring or going to another league/team. Recently, there was a rumor that he will be joining Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr after being offered a €200 Million per year contract for two and a half years. However, the 37-year-old future Hall-of-Famer has since denied the rumor.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Yj3ECGU7k
Deemed one of the favorites to win the trophy, Ronaldo‘s Portugal team shockingly exited the tournament after getting owned by long-shot Morocco. Bono was named “Player of the match” during that outing. However, the goalkeeper gave it to his teammate Youssef En-Nesyri after the latter’s winning goal against Portugal.
Do you think Lionel Messi will finally win his first World Cup? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.
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