Lionel Messi has announced that the November World Cup in Qatar will be his last. The Argentine has never won the World Cup, and it might be the only trophy he fails to win before he retires.
Conquests at the FIFA World Cup were used to judge the best players on the planet. It has always been the yardstick for assessing players. Pele is arguably the greatest player of all time because he won three World Cups with Brazil. Diego Maradona achieved legendary status by leading Argentina to a World Cup win.
The rise of the European Leagues, particularly the Champions League, has seen the importance of the World Cup pale beside club football. The over-commercialization of football has made it more of a business enterprise, with the essence of the game lost in time.
The next World Cup takes place in Qatar in November, with 32 countries jostling to be the number football nation in the world. For some, it will mark their debut, but for others, it will be their last. Lionel Messi has announced that the Mundial in Qatar will be his last.
Lionel Messi announces his last World Cup
Despite all the noise about Qatar and its human rights score, the Middle Eastern country will still host the FIFA World Cup in November. The accusations against the gulf state have not deterred fans from looking forward to the event.
With the Mundial fast approaching, mercurial Argentine forward Lionel Messi has announced that the World Cup in Qatar will be his last. The 35-year-old now has one last chance to win the ultimate prize in football. The PSG star man has won every trophy available except the World Cup. The claim to the title of greatest of all time is questioned because of the World Cup.
Messi captains his country in his fifth World Cup appearance. It will be his final attempt at winning it. Lionel Messi told Argentine journalist Sebastian Vignolo he has decided, and the Mundial in Qatar will be his last.
A record unworthy of a Superstar
Lionel Messi is the darling of football fans across the globe, but his stats at the World Cup are appalling. While scoring plenty of goals for his club, for Argentina at the World Cup, he has been nothing more than a sideshow. The Argentine has World Cup stats that stands at six goals and five assists from 19 appearances.
The closest Messi came to laying his hands on the trophy was in 2014, when the Argentine reached the final. Messi was, however, denied by a late goal by Mario Gotze to give Germany the victory and extend the dream for Messi.
Qatar presents Messi with the final opportunity to land the most elusive trophy of his career. The Argentine has multiple Copa America competitions in six years to thank for being able to eventually win the South American contest. Argentina achieved the feat in 2021 when they beat Brazil 1-0 in the final.
Messi has 90 goals in 164 games for Argentina. It makes him the third-highest goalscorer ever in men’s international football behind Cristiano Ronaldo (117) and Iran’s Ali Daei (109).
