Lionel Messi is not ready to walk away from Argentina yet, despite ending his pursuit of a World Cup winner's medal.
The soccer great secured the one major trophy that has eluded him in his storied career as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties in the final at Lusail Stadium on Sunday.
The match finished 3-3 through extra time with Messi scoring twice and converting his penalty in the shootout.
At 35, this is likely his last appearance in soccer's biggest tournament, but he confirmed after the match that he intends to play on.
“Obviously, I wanted to complete my career with this, (I) can’t ask for more,” Messi said. "Finishing my career this way is impressive. After this, what else? I have a Copa América, a World Cup. Almost at the very end.
"I love soccer, what I do. I enjoy being part of the national team, the group. I want to enjoy a couple of more matches being a world champion.”
Messi has won the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world on seven occasions. He has also won the Champions League four times with former club Barcelona, but the World Cup is the biggest prize in the sport.
“If he wants to keep playing, he can be with us, he is more than entitled to decide if he wants to stay with us,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “It’s a huge pleasure to coach him, everything that he transmits to his team is unparalleled. It’s something I’ve never seen before.”
