Lionel Messi wants to continue with Argentina after World Cup final win over France | Football News

Argentina captain Lionel Messi is not going to retire from worldwide soccer, saying he wants to continue enjoying as a world champion.

Messi scored twice for Argentina in Sunday’s thrilling World Cup final over France as the sport ended 3-3 after extra-time, earlier than changing within the penalty shoot-out which his facet received 4-2 to declare the largest prize in soccer.

Despite being 35, Messi wants to keep on enjoying for his nation past this World Cup placing to mattress any doubts that he would possibly retire.

“I will not retire,” he stated. “I would like to continue enjoying as a World Cup champion.

“It’s the most beautiful thing there is,” Messi advised TyC Sports. “Look what it’s, it is stunning, I needed it so much. God was going to give it to me, I had a sense that it was this, we suffered so much, however we obtained it.

“Obviously I needed to shut my profession with this, I am unable to ask for something anymore. Thank God he gave me every thing. Closing virtually my profession like this, it is spectacular.

“After this, what’s going to there be? I used to be in a position to get the Copa América, World Cup… It got here to me virtually on the finish. I like soccer, what I do. I take pleasure in being within the nationwide crew, the group, I would like to continue dwelling just a few extra video games being world champion.

“I can’t wait to be in Argentina to see how crazy that is going to be.”

Scaloni: If Messi wants to preserve enjoying, he’ll be with us

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has advised Messi that he can keep enjoying for Argentina so long as he needs.

Scaloni, who was a team-mate of Messi’s for Argentina, even recommended the potential of Messi persevering with till the following World Cup in 2026 when he can be 39.

“First of all, we need to save him a spot for the next World Cup in 2026 if he wants to keep playing. If he wants to keep playing, he’ll be with us,” stated Scaloni, who turned solely the third supervisor to win the World Cup and Copa America.

“He’s more than entitled to decide if he wants to keep playing for Argentina or not, and what he wants to do with his career. It’s such a huge pleasure for us to coach him and his team-mates.

“Everything that he transmits to his team-mates is one thing unparallel, that I’ve by no means seen earlier than. A participant, an individual who provides a lot to his team-mates.”

Deschamps: Mbappe left his mark on this final

Messi will take the headlines, however France’s Kylian Mbappe was arguably the perfect performer on the Lusail Stadium on Sunday night time as his hat-trick pushed Argentina all the way in which.

Twice Mbappe impressed a France comeback to take the sport to penalties by scoring the primary World Cup final hat-trick since Geoff Hurst’s for England in 1966.

France head coach Didier Deschamps felt that Mbappe’s involvement can be remembered no matter Les Bleus lacking out on a successive World Cup trophy.

“Kylian has really left his mark on this final,” Deschamps stated. “But unfortunately he didn’t leave it in the way he would have liked and that’s why he was so disappointed at the end of the match like all of the players.”

Deschamps was gutted after the sport and stated France “came back from the dead” towards Argentina.

“Obviously we have some regrets about that first part of the match and then we go into extra-time, where we could have won it in the last minute,” he stated. “Unfortunately, it didn’t go in and then it went to penalties.

“There have been numerous the reason why we simply weren’t fairly nearly as good as we might have been, and we had a really sturdy opponent.

“We were perhaps lacking a little bit of energy. Some of our key players were lacking that energy.

“But, nonetheless, we had some younger, extra inexperienced gamers who got here on and introduced some freshness and high quality they usually managed to get us again into the match and preserve the dream alive.

“But unfortunately at the end of the day we couldn’t achieve that dream.”

Pele: Maradona is smiling now

Brazil legend Pele congratulated Messi and Argentina on their World Cup victory and stated the late Diego Maradona “is smiling now”.

Maradona, who led Argentina to their final World Cup success in 1986, died in November 2020 on the age of 60 due to a cardiac arrest.

Pele additionally provided his sympathy to Mbappe after falling brief within the final regardless of scoring a hat-trick on Sunday and praised Morocco for turning into the primary African nation to attain the World Cup semi-final.

“Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way, Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved,” he posted on Instagram.

“My dear friend, Mbappe, scoring four goals in a final. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle to the future of our sport.

“And I could not fail to congratulate Morocco for the unimaginable marketing campaign. It’s nice to see Africa shine.

“Congratulations Argentina! Certainly Diego (Maradona) is smiling now.”

What the papers stated