Lionel Messi has revealed that the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar will be the last of his career.
The 35-year-old made an announcement on his future with the Argentina national team on Thursday.
‘This will be my last World Cup — for sure. The decision has been made,’ he told Argentine journalist Sebastian Vignolo as reported by The Daily Mail.
Messi, who has six goals overall over the course of the past four World Cups, will compete in his fifth World Cup in Qatar.
Four of those came in 2014, when the PSG star led Argentina to the championship game where they lost 1-0 to Germany in overtime.
Messi announced his retirement from international football in 2016 after losing in the Copa America final against Chile, but he quickly reversed his decision and has remained the captain of the team ever since.
He has changed his mind on retirement in the past, but appears to be happy with his choice this time around.
Whether he stops playing for Argentina immediately after the World Cup remains to be seen, but he has made it clear that he will not be continuing on until 2026.
The Daily Mail noted that While Messi has clarified his stance on his international future, where Messi will be playing his club football next season is still unclear.
The player is understood to be keen on a return to Barcelona once his PSG contract expires, and the Catalan giants can afford to bring him back to the Nou Camp.
Messi is expected to make a final call on his club future after the World Cup.
