When the final whistle blew in Qatar, Lionel Messi fell to his knees in a state of catharsis. It took a penalty shootout against France, but he had finally led Argentina to a FIFA World Cup title, one of the few trophies he’d not won through his career.

Next summer’s World Cup is on Lionel Messi’s mind but he is yet to make a final decision over whether he will play in it or not. Messi will turn 38 during the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico and had previously said in Qatar in 2022 that that competition — where he led Argentina to victory — would be “his last”.