Messi admits the 2018 World Cup is likely to be his last

Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2018 by Marca.com

Lionel Messi has asserted that he is approaching the 2018 World Cup as his last, recognising that a new generation of Argentine footballers is required to step up following the summer's tournament.

Now 30, the Barcelona star has already retired from La Albiceleste duties once before and acknowledges the importance of potentially leaving off the back of success in Russia.

"We owe a debt to ourselves, we owe the people nothing," stated Messi on Fox Sports ahead of Argentina's friendly with Spain.

"We have always given the maximum. We reached three finals and it didn't happen because God didn't want for it.

"We go [to the World Cup] as the last chance. The last chance, and now more so than ever.

"There isn't another, you have to think about this World Cup as the last and try to take advantage of the chance.

"After this, an important generation is going to leave and many players are going to change.

"While many in the world of football would like to see Messi deliver a World Cup to his nation just as Diego Maradona did before him, the striker doesn't consider the trophy to be a likely outcome for Argentina this time around.

"Argentina are always a candidate because we are Argentina and because it is a major trophy," he asserted.

"But the reality is that, nowadays, because of our circumstances, because of the game, because of how we qualified, because of the timing; we are not favourites.

"I think there are much better teams, like Spain, Brazil, Germany, and France too. They are above us and are favourites."

Recalling the image of him walking past the trophy to collect his silver medal in the 2014 World Cup final, Messi opened up on how defeats affect him differently since the birth of his first child in 2012.

"That is a tough image," he recalled. "We weren't able to lift the cup, and passing by it was terrible.

"[When losing] I feel anger, impotence. It hurts.

"Since my first child arrived, Thiago, I live [defeats] differently but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt or doesn't affect me

"In the national team we are all going in the same direction, it is why everyone is at big clubs and fight for important trophies: we are all competitive."