Argentina football icon, Lionel Messi, stated that his appearance in the previous World Cup marked his fifth and final time participating in the prominent global soccer event.
Despite leading his country to victory in Qatar last December, Messi consistently expressed throughout the tournament that he would not be playing in any future editions.
Although Messi was convinced to come out of international retirement in 2016, there were hopes among his compatriots that he could be persuaded to compete in the 2026 World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
When asked about his future involvement, Messi responded, “I think not. This was my last World Cup. I’ll see how things go but in principle, I won’t go to the next World Cup.”
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who recently announced his move from Paris St Germain to Inter Miami in the United States, took the opportunity to pay tribute to his former coach at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola.
Having achieved two Champions League titles together at Barcelona, Messi expressed his delight that Guardiola had finally secured club football’s most prestigious prize with Manchester City in the previous weekend.
