Former Paris Saint Germaine forward, Lionel Messi has confirmed that the 2022 FIFA World Cup was likely his last, essentially ruling himself out of the North American joint tournament in 2026.
Recall that Messi finally won the World Cup in Qatar last December, guiding Argentina past France in a thrilling final to cement his legacy as the greatest footballer of all time.
The Argentina international will be 36 years old on June 24, 2023, which means that before the World Cup which will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, he will be almost 39 years old.
READ MORE: “I Have Taken The Decision”- Messi Set To Join Inter Miami
When asked about whether he would play at the 2026 tournament by Titan Sports, the forward replied: “I think not. [Qatar] was my last World Cup. I’ll see how things go, but as it is right now, no, I won’t go to the next World Cup.”
The Argentine legend is set to end his World Cup career as the competition’s only ever two-time Golden Ball winner, the fourth highest goalscorer, and the all-time appearance maker.
Messi recently confirmed his club football future having opted to let his two-year contract at Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain expire. Despite interest from ex-club Barcelona and a £344m contract offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, the forward opted to make a move to MLS club Inter Miami.
He is expected to earn as much as £43m per year in MLS – a contract which includes sponsorship deals with MLS partners adidas and Apple.
Messi’s move Stateside is expected to drum up interest in the sport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
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