Lionel Messi begins his fifth World Cup on Tuesday against Saudi Arabia.In a pre-match press conference Messi said this would “surely be my last World Cup.”Argentina are reigning Copa America champions under Lionel Scaloni.
This will almost certainly be Messi’s last FIFA World Cup adventure, when Argentina kick off against Saudi Arabia. It will also be Argentina’s first tournament since the passing of Diego Maradona, hero of the Albiceleste’s 1986 triumph in Mexico. Messi admitted it would be “strange” not having Maradona here in Qatar supporting the team.
“It’s strange not to see him in the stand, not to see people going crazy when he appears,” said Messi, now 35, who continued: “He loved the national team. He always was and always will be [with us] from somewhere.”
Bengali