Lionel Messi seems like a person content material to experience off into the sundown, win or lose.
In an interview with Guillem Balague of CBS Sports and BBC Radio, Messi acknowledged that Sunday’s 2022 World Cup ultimate, by which Argentina will play France, will “virtually definitely” be his final match at a World Cup, and expressed an appreciation for every part that’s introduced him to this stage.
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“I’m having fun with it and for a while, I’ve been having fun with it another way than up to now,” Messi stated in Spanish.
“Not solely with the nationwide aspect, however in life, too.”
This would be the second World Cup ultimate for Messi, as Argentina misplaced to Germany on Mario Götze’s extra-time winner in 2014.
It can be Argentina’s first World Cup title since 1986, when Diego Maradona led them previous West Germany in Mexico City.
For Messi, it’s a likelihood to cement his legacy on the worldwide stage, the place he gained his first main trophy solely final summer time within the Copa America, when Argentina beat Brazil within the ultimate.
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His relative lack of success with the Albicelestes in comparison with the membership stage with Barcelona has at all times been a knock on his legacy, notably again dwelling in Argentina.
In his final World Cup, although, Messi has been wonderful, with a penalty kick purpose and a blinding help within the semifinal towards Croatia being arguably his greatest efficiency in a match the place he has been the standout participant. Argentina will go into the ultimate with confidence.
“The fact is that it’s a very highly effective group, very robust,” Messi stated.
“We stated it after we misplaced our first recreation [to Saudi Arabia] which none of us anticipated, that we had belief in ourselves as a result of we all know what we’ve got on this group, the energy that it has and in the long run, that helped us develop, made us stronger and we knew that we might obtain this.
“Lots of happiness, clearly, to have the ability to obtain this, to have the ability to end my profession within the World Cup taking part in my final recreation in a ultimate and the reality is that every part I skilled on this World Cup is one thing very thrilling, what the individuals right here have skilled and the way the individuals again in Argentina are having fun with it.”
Win or lose, Messi harassed the achievements of the Argentine nationwide workforce, which went 36 matches in a row unbeaten earlier than the beautiful loss to Saudi Arabia, and gained a significant trophy for the primary time for the reason that 1993 Copa America final summer time.
“Obviously all of us wish to elevate it, we wish to be World Champions, but it surely’s a soccer match, something can occur,” Messi stated.
“And sure, hopefully this time it is going to be completely different from Brazil [2014].”
This story initially appeared on the New York Post and has been reposted with permission
