No pressure on Lionel Messi to retire, says Argentina boss; he’ll decide when time is right

After witnessing what Lionel Messi was still capable of at this summer’s World Cup, the president of ⁠the Argentina Football Association is not rushing ⁠the all-time great out the door.

Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia said in an interview on Argentine TV that Messi was the only person making the decision when to hang up his boots.

“It’s a decision that is purely and personally his,” Tapia said, according to a translation. “You ‌have to let him relax. In 2022, we didn’t know if he’d play in 2026. He said it was game by game, and I think we’ve seen a great version – if not the best – of Leo in a World Cup.

“You have to let him keep enjoying playing football and after that he’ll make the decision he feels is the right one.”

Messi, who turned ⁠39 on June 24 – two days after scoring a brace against Austria in World Cup group-stage play – has ‌given no indication when he might retire from international football or how much longer he intends to play for Inter Miami in the MLS.

As Tapia pointed out, the ‌2026 tournament was no guarantee after Messi led Argentina to the 2022 title over France ⁠in Qatar. But ⁠Messi played some of his best soccer this summer, compiling eight goals and four assists for La Albiceleste.

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