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Lionel Messi confirms final will be his last World Cup game.
Lionel Messi has declared that the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday at Lusail Stadium will be his final-ever match.
On Tuesday night, Messi’s Argentina defeated Croatia 3-0 to secure their spot in the title bout. Messi’s penalty kick and a brace from strike partner Julian Alvarez made the difference between the two teams.
The PSG star broke the record for most goals scored in a World Cup when he scored his 11th goal in the semifinal. Messi also tied German icon Lothar Matthaus for the joint-most appearances in the history of the event with 25 games played.
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Speaking to Diario Deportivo Ole, Messi confirmed that the final on Sunday will be his 26th and last game at World Cups, stating: “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. It’s all well and good [the records], but the important thing is to be able to achieve the group objective, which is the most beautiful thing of all.
“We’re just one step away, after fighting hard, and we’re going to give everything to try to make it happen this time.”
Argentina and Messi will face off against either Morocco or France in the final.