Would probably have left national team if we did not win World Cup: Messi

Agencies: 

Lionel Messi said that he would have retired from international football if Argentina had not won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Messi led Argentina to their third world title when they beat France in an epic penalty shootout in the final of the 2022 World Cup. He was awarded the Golden Ball as he amassed a staggering seven goals and three assists during the tournament, scoring in each knockout round — having never done so in his international career before Qatar — with his most memorable contribution being his brace in a dramatic final in Lusail.

During a recent interview with the Big Time podcast, Messi said that he probably would no longer be playing for the national side had the result of the 2022 World Cup had gone any differently,

“Winning the World Cup was magical for us, our families, and the whole country, it will stay with us for the rest of our lives. I would probably have left the national team if we didn’t win the World Cup, but luckily it happened and we gave Argentina another title,” Messi said.

However, soon-to-be 37 Messi, who now plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, also mentioned that he will retire from the game “without thinking about age”.

Messi also talked about his exit from Barcelona, which he followed up by joining PSG.

“It was difficult to leave for PSG, because I was doing very well at Barcelona and I was thinking of staying there. I wasn’t ready to leave, it all happened very quickly, I had to rebuild my life from one day to the next,” he said.

“I got to know another league, another club, a new dressing room. It was a change that we weren’t looking for and that’s why it was difficult at first.”

Messi missed Argentina’s latest friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica in the United States this month due to a hamstring injury.