No pressure on Lionel Messi to retire, says Argentina boss; he’ll decide when time is right
Messi will turn 43 during the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Cristiano Ronaldo was 41 during this summer’s tournament
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.”