Lionel Messi came close to quitting international football ahead of Miami move

14 July 2023 , 16:28

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Lionel Messi has opened up about his feelings on potentially retiring from international football after the World Cup in 2022. (Image: Fred Lee/Getty Images)

Argentina icon Lionel Messi has admitted he probably would have quit international football had he not led his country to its historic World Cup triumph in Qatar.

The 36-year-old forward was in reflective mood ahed of his move to Inter Miami as he looked back on his achievements during a glittering career that has yielded an unfathomable 42 major honours with club and country. The departed Paris Saint-Germain star will imminently embark on a fresh chapter stateside after snubbing the advances of Barcelona and Saudi Arabia to commit to MLS.

Now, the former Camp Nou hero has opened up on what was going through his head during Argentina's landmark run in Qatar last winter, as his inspirational talismanic displays dragged his country over the line to land a first World Cup since 1986. That winner's medal was the one glaring omission from his enviable collection but he put in a string of career-defining performances to lift the trophy aloft in Qatar.

His seven goals at the finals landed him the competition's Golden Ball, with the pictures of the veteran forward holding the famous golden trophy likely to endure for decades to come as he equalled Diego Maradona in bringing the World Cup to the South American nation. The superstar has explained that he was fully aware that his fifth attempt at winning the tournament was likely to be his last, however.

Speaking to a TV network in his homeland, the former Barca star said: "I enjoyed very much every moment throughout the World Cup. I enjoyed it like I had never done before. A bit because I knew it could be my last World Cup."

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He now admits that he had even considered retiring from international football if he had been unable to lead his country to the holy grail of a third World Cup. He said: "To be honest, I think if we had not been world champions I would no longer be here in the national team. Absolutely, but now, being a world champion I can't leave the national team.

Messi added: "I have to enjoy all this but back then, it was like I enjoyed it and at the same time I had enormous peace of mind and confidence in the group we had."

Lionel Messi admitted he couldn't retire from international football after winning the World Cup (Getty Images)

This is not the first time that the incoming Inter Miami forward has spoken about retiring from international duty, with the superstar even having hung up his boots in this regard following the 2016 Copa America final loss to Chile. He soon returned, before going on to win that competition in 2021 before finally getting his hands on the World Cup in 2022.

However, the diminutive striker has been honest in the past about the prospect of him playing in a sixth World Cup at the age of nearly 40 in 2026 is not something he is considering. Refraining from putting a date on his international retirement, he asserted that he expects to retire from playing for his country "soon", when asked about the subject on Argentina's TV Publica.

Messi's career is certainly heading towards a new instalment as he gears up for his move to MLS, having jetted into Fort Lauderdale in recent days. He is due to be unveiled as an Inter Miami player on July 16, before potentially making his debut on July 21.

Tom Beattie