Lionel Messi has confirmed that this year’s World Cup will be his final one, however, he stopped short of suggesting that he will hang up his international boots for good after the tournament ends.
The Paris Saint-Germain hitman will be making his fifth appearance at the World Cup Finals, but the Jules Rimet trophy has so far eluded him in what has been an otherwise glittering career.
And ahead of his World Cup swansong, Messi has shed some light on how he’s feeling.
When pressed on his thoughts, Messi said: “There’s some anxiety and nerves at the same time… it is the last one.”
Pressure to deliver
Given Messi’s stratospheric talent, it is staggering he is yet to enjoy World Cup success with Argentina. His record of six goals in 19 appearances is somewhat underwhelming, and more surprisingly, he has never scored after the Round of 16 stage. The 2010 World Cup, in particular, was miserable for Messi as he fired blanks and Argentina exited in the quarter-finals.
Of course, the scene will be set for the world’s biggest names to leave an indelible mark, and for Messi, there will be pressure on him and his team-mates to deliver. Indeed, Argentina are usually among the likely contenders. A glance at our list of recommended World Cup betting sites shows Argentina are garnering serious attention once again. Currently, Argentina is trading at 7/1 to win the World Cup with bet365, while the same bookmaker has priced Messi at a longer 12/1 to clinch the Golden Boot prize.
Argentina are the two-time World Cup champions, having lifted the title in 1978 and 1986, and they last reached the final in 2014, but they came up short against Germany. The burden of expectation seems to weigh heavily on the country’s shoulders at times.
Messi suggested that Argentina deserves to be mentioned among the contenders, but he admits that the World Cup can always throw up surprises.
He said: “I don’t know whether we are big favourites, but I believe Argentina is a candidate because of its history, which means even more now because of the way we got here.
“But in a World Cup anything can happen, all these matches are very difficult.”
Argentina have struggled to produce their best form at the World Cup in recent years. But they have, what looks on paper, to be an eminently easy group as they have been placed in Group C alongside Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland, so they should have few problems advancing to the knockout stage.
Messi’s World Cup swansong will of course be a sad sight for his adoring fans, but he has transcended the game and he is one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Whether Argentina can fulfil his wishes remains to be seen, but with Messi, you just know he will want to leave everything on the line, and he will be desperate to go out in a blaze of glory.
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