Guwahati: After assisting Argentina defeat France to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi said that he would still play for his country. This news may come as a relief to millions of football fans around the world.
“No, I’m not going to retiring from the Argentina national team,” he told TyC Sports, as quoted by Goal.com. “I want to continue playing as a champion.”
The legendary player from Argentina said that he had a gut feeling he would triumph this time.
In what was Argentine icon Lionel Messi’s final World Cup, Argentina prevailed in the hard-fought championship match on Sunday. Argentina won the game 4-2 on penalties after the score remained tied at the end of the second half of extra time.
After a dramatic World Cup final at Lusail, in which the iconic striker’s World Cup aspirations came true with a 4-2 victory over France on penalties, Lionel Messi was presented with the Golden Ball, the accolade given to the best player of a FIFA World Cup.
Messi, who was competing in his final FIFA World Cup this year, was at his best the entire competition. The 35-year-old superstar did it all, including scoring important goals, converting penalties, and assisting teammates in scoring.
In the end, Messi finished behind Kylian Mbappe of France as the tournament’s second-highest goal scorer.
After his nation’s victory over France in the FIFA World Cup final, late Sunday night, Argentina’s ambassador to India, HJ Gobbi, was clearly ecstatic.
Fans celebrated Argentina’s victory at a celebration hosted by the Argentine embassy in a hotel in New Delhi.
“It is an emotional moment. I hope this is not Messi’s last World Cup, I want to see another one,” said HJ Gobbi, the Ambassador of Argentina.
After Argentina’s historic victory, hundreds of fans exploded in joy on the streets of Kolkata, cementing Messi’s place in folklore.
Throngs of Argentina and Messi supporters assembled to see the World Cup final at the Shree Bhoomi Sporting Club in Bidhannagar.
Argentina won its third World Cup for the first time since 1986.