Argentine footballer Lionel Messi said on Tuesday he has no plans to compete in the next World Cup, which will be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada in 2026.
“I don’t think so. It was my last. I’ll see how things go, but in principle I don’t expect to be in the next one,” said the Argentina captain, who became world champion. champion of Qatar, in an interview with a Chinese sports newspaper.
Lionel Messi, 35, who moved from Paris Saint-Germain (France) to Inter Miami (USA), also spoke about winning the Champions League for Manchester City and said that Josep Guardiola, with whom he supports “ frequent contacts”, showed that he is “the best coach in the world”.
As for the possibility that he could become a coach in the future, the Argentine stated that the position is not in his plans, although he left the door open, stressing that it was “unclear” whether his thoughts would not change.
The Argentine striker also highlighted his “close relationship” with Barcelona, the emblem he represented for over 20 seasons until 2020/21, and the “beautiful fact” that even without his presence, his name is shouted in the stadium. .
Lionel Messi is in China with the Argentina national team to play two friendly matches before the World Cup qualifiers: against Australia in Beijing next Thursday and against Indonesia in Jakarta on June 19.
The clash with Australia is a repeat of the 2022 World Cup Round of 16 game in Qatar on 3 December at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, where Argentina won 2-1 with goals from Lionel Messi and Julián Alvarez and an own goal from Enzo Fernandez .
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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