Argentine captain, Lionel Messi, feels great as leads Argentina to face Saudi Arabis this morning.
The match is best regarded as the begining of the end for the football icon’s World Cup career.
Qatar 2022 is the fifth appearance for the 35 year old. By the next World Cup, he would be 39 and most likely out of his prime to dream for a World Cup appearance.
Brazil 2014 was the closest that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner nearly lifted the biggest football trophy.
Argentina lost the final match to Germany.
Ahead of today’s match, Messi remarked “This is probably my last World Cup, my last chance to achieve this great dream that I have.”
The Paris St-Germain forward says he has not made any special physical preparations despite the tournament being played in the middle of the club season, and he feels fit and ready.
“I feel very good physically, I think I’m in a great moment, both personally and physically and I don’t have any problems,” added Messi, who did light training away from his team-mates on Saturday.
“I heard that they said I trained differently. It was because I had a knock but there is nothing strange [happening]. It was just a precaution.”
Having won countless trophies at club level with Barcelona and PSG, Messi only broke his international trophy duck last year as Argentina lifted the Copa America by beating Brazil in the final.
“It’s a beautiful thing that many people outside Argentina want us to be champions and that it’s largely because of me,” said Messi.
“I’m grateful for the love I’ve received around the world during my career, and here in Qatar it’s another example of that.
“I don’t know if we arrive better than at other World Cups, but we’ve just won [the Copa America] and that decompresses us a lot.
“It makes us work in a different way, without anxiety about the national team and its results, and enjoying ourselves.”
After facing Saudi Arabia, Argentina will also play Mexico and Poland in Group C.
