Star Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina’s football team, has confirmed that the final game of the FIFA World Cup 2022 taking place in Qatar on Sunday, December 18, will be his final match for his country.
The 35-year-old is the tournament’s top goal scorer and assist provider this year. On Tuesday midnight, he assisted Argentina in reaching the tournament’s final by defeating Croatia in the first semifinal.
He opened the scoring for his team against Croatia before assisting Julian Alvarez on the team’s third goal.
Messi confirmed his retirement plans and said that Sunday’s summit match will be his final match for the South American giants in an interview with Argentine media outlet Diario Deportivo Ole following Argentina’s victory.
“I feel very happy to be able to achieve this, to finish my World Cup journey by playing my last game in a final.”
“It’s many years for the next one and I don’t think I’ll be able to do it. And to finish like this, it’s the best,” Messi Continued.
Messi has been on fire in this year’s FIFA World Cup. He has four Player of the Match awards and has scored in five of the six matches he has played so far.
Messi Magic Drives Argentina To World Cup Final In 3-0 Win Over Croatia
Lionel Messi led Argentina from the front as they beat Croatia 3-0 to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
After taking a 2-0 lead before halftime, Argentina was already in a position to qualify for the FIFA World Cup final for the sixth time in their football history.
Two-Time FIFA WORLD CUP 2022. the captain and the star player were in excellent form.
The PSG forward scored in the penalty shootout and then assisted on two other goals.
The two-time world champions, who had the support of the vast majority of spectators at the Lusail Stadium, put on their best performance of the tournament to guarantee that they would face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal match between the defending champions France and Morocco in Sunday’s final.
Messi, 35, who lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, is eager to cap off an extraordinary career by helping Argentina win its third World Cup, joining titles won in 1978 and 1986.
Additionally, he ensured the victory by brilliantly setting up the third goal after setting his team on the path to victory with a perfectly executed first-half penalty.
Croatia, who finished second in Russia four years ago, paid the price for some unusually bad defending by exiting the tournament in the semifinals for the second time after losing to France in their inaugural match in 1998.
Enzo Fernandez’s low pot shot from outside the box in the 25th minute was the game’s first sign of life, but Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic did well to get across and block it.
It was a close match until Fernandez lofted a simple ball over the top, which the Croatian defence couldn’t handle.
Alvarez pounced on it and knocked the ball past the charging Livakovic, who then collided with the striker, and Italian referee Daniele Orsato pointed to the spot.
The 11 goals Messi scored were the most by any Argentinian in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
