Lionel Messi confirms retirement from international football, says FIFA World Cup final will be his last game

Footaball legend  Lionel Messi has announced that the last match of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar on Sunday (December 18) will be his final game for his country. 

The 35-year-old is the competition's best goal scorer and assist provider this year, having helped Argentina reach the final of the ongoing event by defeating Croatia in the first semifinal on Tuesday. He scored his team's opening goal against Croatia and then assisted on Julian Alvarez's third goal.

Messi confirmed his retirement plans to Argentine media outlet Diario Deportivo Ole after Argentina's win, saying that Sunday's summit battle will be his final game for the South American giants.

"I feel very happy to be able to achieve this, to finish my World Cup journey by playing my last game in a final."

"It's many years for the next one and I don't think I'll be able to do it. And to finish like this, it's the best," Messi said.

With his fifth goal in Qatar, he also surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as the Albiceleste's leading World Cup scorer, with 11 goals.

The PSG forward put on a display for a packed house at Qatar's Lusail Stadium, which many praised as his greatest in recent memory. This will be Messi's final chance to win the World Cup before retiring. He finished second in 2014 after losing to Germany in Brazil.

Argentina will face either 2018 champions France or Morocco in the final.

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