All good things must come to an end, at 35 and at the tail end of one of the greatest sporting careers of all-time, Lionel Messi will not be wearing the number 10 for Argentina in 2026.

Messi, before the 2022 World Cup kicks off, will enter the tournament with an astonishing 90 goals scored for Argentina and winner of two senior titles with the Albiceleste. Messi was also the runner up of the 2014 World Cup and three times a second-place finisher in the Copa America.

The PSG superstar is rumored to be heading to Barcelona after the European season ends in June, but one thing is for certain, 2022 is Messi’s last World Cup.

Lionel Messi decides to play his last World Cup for Argentina in 2022

In an interview with Argentine journalist Sebastián Vignolo the soccer living legend stated, “This will be my last World Cup, almost certainly”. Messi would be 39 heading into United States, Canada, and Mexico 2026, and while rumors are rampant that Messi will at one point end his career in MLS, Messi is fully conscious that his best days may be behind him.

Someone tell the rest of the world that as the Argentine is simply owning the French league and has had masterclass performances in this season’s UEFA Champions League, Messi has 8 goals in 13 matches this season.