'I Want To Keep Playing As A World Champion'... Lionel Messi On His International Future With Argentina.
Lionel Messi has revealed that he will not retire from international football, saying he wants to continue playing in the Argentine's shirt as a world champion.
The Argentina captain, clarified his international future after leading La Albiscelste to their third World Cup title in history on Sunday night in Qatar.
Messi was the star, as he scored twice for Argentina in the most thrilling World Cup final against defending champions France as the game ended 3-3 after extra-time with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick.
The PSG star Mbappe, joins England’s 1966 hero Geoff Hurst as the only men to have scored a World Cup final hat-trick, netting his three goals from six shots.
Messi nevertheless, went to convert in the penalty shoot-out which his side eventually winning 4-2 to claim the world's biggest prize in football.
In a World Cup that saw a record 172 goals scored, overtaking the 171 netted in the 1998 and 2014 editions, this was a fitting finale in Qatar.
Following his World Cup victory, Messi's international future was in doubt as there were suggestions that he could retire.
Despite being 35, Messi wants to carry on playing for his country beyond this World Cup putting to bed any doubts that he might retire.
He had previously hinted that the final would be his final World Cup match for Argentina. However, that is not the case now, as wants to continue playing for Argentina as a world champion for as long as possible.
"I will not retire from international football yet," the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner told TYC Sports.
"I want to continue playing as a World Cup champion with the Argentina shirt. It's the most beautiful thing there is.
"I enjoy being in the national team, the group, I want to continue living a few more games being world champion,
"Look what it is, it's beautiful, I wanted it a lot. God was going to give it to me, I had a feeling that it was this, we suffered a lot, but we got it... Messi added.
"Obviously I wanted to close my career with this, I can't ask for anything anymore. Thank God he gave me everything. Closing almost my career like this, it's impressive.
"After this, what will there be? I was able to get the Copa América, World Cup… It came to me almost at the end. I love football, what I do. I enjoy being in the national team, the group, I want to continue living a few more games being world champion.
"I can't wait to be in Argentina to see how crazy that is going to be."
The World Cup triumph for Argentina, sees the South American team break a 36-year jinx, as they add to their previous titles won in 1978 and 198
Records Broken By Messi In The 2022 World Cup:
Recall that Messi had made his 1,000th competitive appearance in the knockout stages in Qatar.
He made his 26th World Cup appearance in the final against France at the Lusail Stadium, breaking the record previously held by Germany legend Lothar Matthaus for the most World Cup games by a male player.
Matthaus, who won the world crown in 1990, made 25 appearances for his country at international football’s biggest tournament.
Behind him are compatriot Miroslav Klose (24 appearances), Italy’s Paolo Maldini (23) and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (22).
The Paris Saint-Germain forward equalled and surpassed the Argentina record – which belonged to the late Diego Maradona earlier in the competition.
The former Barcelona captain also surpassed Rafa Marquez to become the player with the most World Cup appearances as captain.
He became the first player to score in the round-of-16, quarter-final, semi-final and the final of a single World Cup tournament.
His long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo has played four fewer World Cup games than him.
It remains to be seen how long Messi will continue with the Argentina national team, but he is unlikely to play in another World Cup as he will be 39 when the next edition comes up in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
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