The 35-year-old guided his country to a third title in a 4-2 penalties win over France on Sunday.
Updated – Mon 19 Dec 22 09:59 AM
Doha: FIFA World Cup Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has said the World Cup in Qatar will be his last, but has now changed his mind about a possible exit from international football.
The 35-year-old guided his country to a third title in a 4-2 penalties win over France on Sunday.
“I want to play a few more games as world champion. I’ve been lucky to have every title in my career; that’s the only thing missing. I want to take this there (to Argentina), with the others Enjoy it together,” said Messi, who won the Golden Boot, becoming the first man to do so twice.
Messi opened the scoring for Argentina with a 23rd-minute penalty and scored in 108th-minute extra time to make it 3-2. Mbappe scored a hat-trick to send the game to penalties and Messi also scored.
Messi, who was named the Ballon d’Or winner at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil eight years ago when Argentina were knocked out 1-0 by Germany in the final, the 35-year-old came two days after Mbappe’s hat-trick. Looks heartbroken again.
But it was Gonzalo Montiel’s decisive spot-kick after Emiliano Martinez saved Kingsley Coman’s penalty that earned him the top prize at the last World Cup.
It means Messi is also once again emulating compatriot Diego Maradona, Argentina’s last tournament player to win the title 36 years ago.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner departed World Cup football after one of the most influential performances of the game ever, which brought his tally of Man of the Match awards to 11 in five appearances.
He has been named man of the match in five appearances, including all of their previous knockouts and finals, breaking the four-match mark he had shared with Netherlands’ Weslis Ned following his performance in 2014. Record.
