Lionel Messi has dropped a major hint about his international future with Argentina, describing the World Cup final against Spain as the ‘last tango.’ The Argentine icon could follow the path taken by Cristiano Ronaldo, who announced his retirement from international football after Portugal’s round‑of‑16 exit.
On Sunday evening, Argentina will attempt to retain their title and secure back‑to‑back World Cup triumphs following their success in Qatar four years ago. At 39, Messi would be 43 by the time the 2030 tournament arrives – two years older than Ronaldo was while competing this summer.
Messi has been in outstanding form throughout the tournament, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in seven games. The only two matches in which he didn’t find the net were against Switzerland and England in the quarter‑finals and semi‑finals – but he still recorded three assists across those games.
Taking to Instagramahead of the match, Messi shared a picture of himself draped in an Argentina flag. He wrote: “What a journey we’re having together, @adidasfootball… with ‘The Last Tango’… Let’s go for the final, let’s go Argentina!!!”
The second slide showed a separate shot of Messi’s blue‑and‑white adidas boots, fittingly named ‘El Ultimo Tango’ (‘The Last Tango’)
In a separate post, Messi shared a picture of the Argentina squad and staff, penning a heartfelt message. It read: “The most beautiful thing about all these years was never just the trophies, but the entire journey. Sharing the day‑to‑day with this group, competing together, getting back up in the difficult moments, and enjoying every step.
“Thank you to each one of my teammates, the coaching staff, and everyone who works every day so that this national team continues to feel like a family. Whatever happens tomorrow, this group has already written a story we will never forget — one that no one will ever be able to erase.”
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