Argentina captain Lionel Messi has said that “in principle” last year’s World Cup would be his fifth and final appearance at global football’s showpiece event.
The 35-year-old forward led his country to a third World Cup triumph in Qatar last December, saying throughout the tournament that he would not be playing at another edition.
Messi was persuaded out of international retirement in 2016, however, and many of his compatriots were hoping he might be cajoled into going on to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“I think not. This was my last World Cup,” Messi told Titan Sports ahead of Argentina’s friendly against Australia in Beijing.
“I’ll see how things go but in principle, I won’t go to the next World Cup.”
Argentina play Australia at the newly rebuilt Workers Stadium in the Chinese capital on Thursday.