<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Argentina captain Lionel Messi said Thursday that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will "surely" be the last of his career.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's my last World Cup, surely. I feel good physically, I was able to do a very good pre-season this year, which I couldn't do last year. It was essential to get to where I am, with a good state of mind and a lot of hope," the 35-year-old told ESPN Argentina.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Messi, who is due to appear in his fifth World Cup, made his international debut in 2005 and has since won 164 caps for Argentina and is the country's all-time record scorer with 90 goals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the interview, which took place in Paris where Messi plays for Paris Saint-Germain, he admitted he was nervous about the impending tournament.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"There is anxiety, nerves about the World Cup," he said. "We can't wait for it to start."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Messi's international debut as a substitute against Hungary in 2005 lasted just two minutes before he was sent off but he quicky established himself in the national team set-up and travelled to Germany for his first World Cup in 2006.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He went on to play in the 2010 edition in South Africa, 2014 in Brazil, where Argentina reached the final, and 2018 in Russia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The current side, under the management of Lionel Scaloni, have now gone 35 games without defeat and are likely to figure among the pre-tournament favourites for the tournament.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We have reached a good moment, with a very well-equipped and very strong group, but anything can happen," said Messi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"All the games are very difficult. The favourites are not always the ones who end up winning or taking the path that one expected.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Argentina is always a candidate because of its history and what it means. But we are not the only favourites, there are other teams that are above us."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>- Last chance for glory -</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Argentina get their bid for a third World Cup title, and first since 1986, underway on November 22 against Saudi Arabia in Lusail, before further Group C matches against Mexico and Poland.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Messi has often struggled to emulate Argentine icon Diego Maradona on the biggest international stage, although was surprisingly named player of the tournament after his team lost the 2014 final to Germany.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He only scored once four years ago in Russia as Argentina bowed out with a 4-3 defeat by eventual champions France in the last 16, following a humiliating 3-0 thumping by Croatia in the group stage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But hopes are high that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner could bow out from World Cups with glory in the Middle East.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Messi won the best player award as he led Argentina to last year's Copa America crown -- beating arch rivals Brazil in the final -- to win their first major tournament title in 28 years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Qatar will likely provide the last chance for Messi and his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, to finally lift the World Cup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I am going to have to reassess a lot of things after the World Cup, whether it goes well for us or not," Messi admitted in March.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I hope it goes well, but a lot of things are definitely going to change." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>