"I won't go to the next World Cup, Qatar 2022 was my last" - Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi said that he won't be participating in the 2026 World Cup.

The 35-year-old free agent has admitted that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was his last appearance in the event.

If you remember, Messi, 35, led Argentina to victory in his fifth World Cup participation last year in Qatar.

Messi scored seven goals in seven games to become the first player since the round of 16's introduction in 1986 to score in each round of the same World Cup.

He helped Argentina win its third World Cup championship with two goals in the thrilling penalty shootout against France.

In addition, the former PSG star made history by being the first player to get the Golden Ball trophy twice since its inception in 1982 (his first triumph came in 2014).

Despite Messi's repeated declarations that the competition would be his final appearance, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, his players, and supporters continued to hold out hope that the seven-time winner of the Ballon d'Or would participate in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the countries of the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

When questioned regarding the 2026 World Cup, Messi said to the Chinese sports publication Titan Sports: "I think not. [Qatar] was my last World Cup. I'll see how things go, but as it is right now, no, I won't go to the next World Cup."

Apparently, Lionel Messi is in China with Argentina's national team for scheduled friendlies against Australia on Thursday and Indonesia four days later.

The former Barcelona great revealed last week that he will be joining Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends on June 30.