2022 World Cup will be the last of Lionel Messi’s storied career

News Desk: The 2022 World Cup in Qatar next month will be the last of Lionel Messi’s storied career.

The 35-year-old Argentina star, who will play in his fifth World Cup, is still seeking his first title at the showpiece tournament (which begins on Nov. 20 this year) and admitted he feels nervous ahead of his last appearance on world football’s biggest stage.

“There’s some anxiety and nerves at the same time. It is the last one,” Messi said in an interview.

“In a World Cup, anything can happen. All the matches are very tough. The favourites don’t always end up winning,” Messi said. “I don’t know if we’re the favourites, but Argentina is always a candidate because of its history. Now even more so because of the moment we’re in, but we are not the favourites. I think there are other teams that are above us.”

“I feel good, physically,” Messi said. “I had a good preseason this year, which I wasn’t able to do the year before [when he moved from Barca to PSG]. It was key to starting off better, as I did, with a lot of mental focus and eagerness.”

“I have been playing with the national team for a long time now,” Messi said. “There have been spectacular moments, like in 2014, 2015 and 2016, but we didn’t win and were criticised for not being champions.

“We did everything right until the finals.”

Messi said he was heading to Qatar with a positive outlook as the elder statesman in a team full of young talent, while also still relishing Argentina’s massive Copa America win last year.

“It’s been very hard, but in 2019 a new group with many young people came and won the Copa America. That helped us a lot,” Messi added. “I couldn’t believe it, can’t explain it. It’s one of the goals I needed to wrap everything up. It was very important for me to win something with the national team, if not that monkey was always going to be on my back, all those lost finals.”

“I would’ve liked to have enjoyed it with the people of Argentina. It’s crazy how they experienced it, the aftermath. They’re crazy over the team, excited. That’s why it’s good to turn it down, we’re going to fight against anybody, but we don’t think we’re the champions. We think we’re just going to walk over anybody, but it’s not like that. The first game is key.”

“My love of the Argentinean people is unconditional. I’m very grateful to have experienced and enjoyed everything I have. It was very special.”