Is retirement on Lionel Messi's mind? Argentine opens up about international future (WATCH)

By Team Newsable | First Published Jul 12, 2023, 10:31 PM IST

Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning captain, Lionel Messi, reveals he is uncertain about retirement from international football and emphasises his focus is on enjoying the moment.

Lionel Messi, the World Cup-winning captain of Argentina, has stated that he is uncertain about when he will retire from international football. In an interview broadcasted on Argentine television, the 36-year-old expressed, "Even I don't know when. It'll happen when it happens." As a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, Messi wants to savour the current moment and let time dictate when it is the right moment to retire. He emphasised the importance of enjoying the achievements, particularly after Argentina's recent triumphs in winning the 2021 Copa America and becoming world champions.

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"Logically, given my age, one would expect it to be soon, but I don't know for sure. Now that we are American champions (Argentina won the 2021 Copa America) and world champions we have to enjoy that," Messi said.

Messi reiterated his previous remarks that he is unlikely to be part of Argentina's squad when they defend their World Cup title in 2026. The interview was conducted in China last month, where Messi notably scored the quickest goal of his career, finding the net after just 79 seconds in a friendly match against Australia in Beijing.

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On Tuesday, Messi arrived in Florida to finalise his move to the US Major League Soccer club, Inter Miami, from Paris Saint-Germain. It is expected that he will sign a two-and-a-half-year contract worth $60 million annually and will be presented to fans during a stadium event on Sunday.

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