Will injury force Lionel Messi to miss last World Cup of his career? PSG star shares concern

First Published Oct 16, 2022, 12:09 PM IST

Legendary Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, who confirmed that World Cup 2022 in Qatar would be his last, has admitted that he is concerned about missing this year's showpiece event due to injury.

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The football world was heartbroken when legendary Argentinian forward Lionel Messi confirmed a few weeks ago that the upcoming World Cup 2022 in Qatar would be his last outing at the showpiece event. However, the possibility of missing the coveted tournament due to an injury has become a cause of concern for the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star.

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Messi, who has missed PSG's last two games due to a calf injury, has admitted that he is concerned about missing this year's World Cup due to injury. Due to the recent serious injuries to Argentina's Angel Di Maria and Paulo Dybala, the 35-year-old legend has started to doubt his fitness ahead of November's showpiece event.

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Expressing his concerns to DirectTV Sports, the Argentina captain said, "Injuries are a worry. This is a different World Cup which is played at a different time of the year to previous tournaments and it is so imminent any little thing that happens to you can force you out."

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"With what happened to Dybala and Di Maria, the truth is that personally you worry and you're more afraid when you see those sort of things," added Messi, who hopes to return to PSG squad for the Ligue 1 champions' clash against Marseille on Sunday.

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Speaking to Star + in Argentina earlier this month, when asked about whether this would be his final World Cup, Messi said, "Yes. Surely, yes." The former Barcelona legend also spoke about Argentina's chances of winning the World Cup 2022. "I don't know if we are the favourite candidates, but Argentina is always a candidate because of history, because of what it means. We are not the top favourites, it seems to me. There are other teams that are above us today, but we are very close," the iconic footballer added.

Also read: 'The last dance': Messi fans emotional after Argentina icon confirms Qatar World Cup 2022 will be his last

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