The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the last for Lionel Messi, but don’t tell that to Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez, who isn’t ready to see the 35-year-old exit the Argentina national team.
In an interview with ESPN Argentina (h/t ESPN FC), Martinez was asked about the upcoming World Cup in Qatar as the team hopes to provide Messi with the storybook ending of winning the trophy that has long eluded him.
However, Martinez isn’t quite prepared with Messi retiring from international competition with Argentina.
“How will this be Messi’s last World Cup?” Martinez said. “No, no he’s crazy, we’re not going to let him leave … We’ll go to war for him.”
Football fans who don’t have a horse in the race will be rooting for Messi to see the veteran forward get another crack at winning the World Cup after coming close in 2014 but losing to Germany in the final.
Last year, Messi finally won his first international trophy with Argentina, lifting the Copa America after defeating Brazil, so perhaps that might be a good sign heading into the World Cup in late November.
