Lionel Messi is reaching the end of his World Cup road. On Thursday, the Argentine icon told Star Plus that next month’s tournament in Qatar will be the last of his celebrated career.
At 35, Messi choosing not to hold out for the 2026 World Cup comes as little surprise. But the announcement further cements the idea that this year’s tournament will mark the end of an era. In addition to Messi, Qatar 2022 will probably be the last World Cup for fellow megastars Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and Neymar (Brazil), and could be the finale for several more marquee names.