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

In what will be the end of an era, legendary footballer Lionel Messi on Thursday confirmed that the upcoming World Cup 2022 in Qatar would likely be his last appearance at the showpiece event. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has so far competed in four World Cups for Argentina, guiding his country to the final in 2014 in Brazil.

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Considered one of the greatest players to have graced the sport, Messi is yet to lift the famed trophy, and the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star will get one last chance to clinch the coveted glory in Qatar when the tournament starts on November 20. 

Speaking to Star + in Argentina, 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," Messi said.

"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 Argentinian icon added.

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Argentina has been drawn into Group C alongside Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland. Messi and Co. will face Saudi Arabia in their World Cup 2022 opener on November 22.

The news has left countless Messi fans heartbroken and emotional as the thought of seeing their favourite footballer grace the showpiece event for one last time drives them hysteric.

Here's a look at how Messi fans reacted to this news on Twitter: