On Sunday, Lionel ‘Messi`, a star for Argentina, vowed to keep representing his nation even after achieving his lifelong goal of winning the World Cup.
After Argentina’s thrilling World Cup final triumph against France on penalties, Messi, 35, said on Argentine television, “I want to stay experiencing a few more matches as world champion.”
However, after the Argentina captain won the one significant international title that was missing from his collection, Messi acknowledged that his career was practically over.
Prior to the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scoring his penalty shot in the shootout that Argentina won 4-2, the Paris Saint-Germain front scored two goals in the dramatic and tumultuous final that ended 3-3 after 120 riveting minutes.
“Obviously, this is how I want to end my career, I cannot ask for more,” said ‘Messi`.
“My career is nearly over because these are my last years.”
And after so many disappointments on the biggest stage in football, including losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in Brazil, Messi said he always felt his time would come.
“It’s crazy that it happened at the time it happened, but it’s amazing,” he said.
“It’s amazing that it could end this way. I said previously that God was going to grant me this and I don’t know why but I felt it was going to be this time.”
After Argentina lost a two-goal lead late in the game for the second time, following their quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands a week earlier, Messi turned his attention to the game itself.
Argentina was leading 2-0 at the half and 3-2 during extra time, but Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick of goals—two in the dying seconds of regulation and one in the extra period—pinned Argentina back and forced penalties.
The same as the earlier game against the Netherlands, it was a very unusual one, and then when we were ahead in extra time, it happened once more, according to Messi.
But the World Cup trophy “is gorgeous,” he continued.
Messi hugged his family and team-mates after the match while coach Lionel Scaloni, winger Angel Di Maria, who scored Argentina’s second goal, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez could not contain their tears after the final whistle.
Messi has played 172 times for Argentina, scoring 98 goals since making his debut in 2005.
