This, eight years after Argentina's loss to Germany in the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro, has been billed as Lionel Messi's last chance to win a World Cup. He is now 35 years old.
One of football's greatest players, Lionel Messi, has yet to win the FIFA World Cup. An unstoppable Croatian team led by Luka Modric, the enduring genius, stands in the way of Messi and Argentina's World Cup aspirations in the semi-final on Tuesday in Doha. Messi, now 35, has been hailed as having one more chance to win the World Cup eight years after Argentina lost to Germany in the final in Rio de Janeiro. He has already scored his first two goals in a World Cup knockout game: one against Australia in the round of 16 and a penalty kick against the Netherlands. He is eager to make the most of the chance.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, who is arguably the best club player of all time, would complete a stellar career by winning the World Cup. After being dissatisfied on the international stage, he inspired Argentina to win Copa America. He is aware that Croatia is the most dreaded and powerful adversary, though.
Every football fan wonders whether he will retire after the FIFA World Cup due to his advanced age. While Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni would not reveal what Lionel Messi will do next, he did declare that he would "enjoy having him" while he was still on the field. Messi, 35, acknowledged before the competition that he will likely not play in another World Cup.
Scaloni, who had a brief international career at the same time as Messi did, has expressed optimism for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's future. He continued, "We're just going to take advantage of having him for the time being." We'll see if he continues to play. It's the best thing that could happen to the football community and us at large.
