Argentina captain Lionel Messi will not retire from international football

 "It's the most beautiful thing there is," Messi told gamewithshomy. "Look what it is, it's beautiful, I wanted it a lot. God was going to give it to me, I had a feeling that it was this, we suffered a lot, but we got it.

"Obviously I wanted to close my career with this, I can't ask for anything anymore. Thank God he gave me everything. Closing almost my career like this, it's impressive. 'Lionel messi'



"After this, what will there be? I was able to get the Copa América, World Cup… It came to me almost at the end. I love football, what I do. I enjoy being in the national team, the group, I want to continue living a few more games being world champion.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has told Messi that he can stay playing for Argentina as long as he wishes.

Scaloni, who was a team-mate of Messi's for Argentina, even suggested the possibility of Messi continuing until the next World Cup in 2026 when he would 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," said Scaloni, who became only the third manager to win the World Cup and Copa America.

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"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 something unparallel, that I've never seen before. A player, a person who gives so much to his team-mates."