The 2022 FIFA World Cup is right around the corner and appears as though the popular opinion among those whose countries aren’t serious contenders for the tournament is to see Lionel Messi win the competition.
Messi is likely to be in his last World Cup with Argentina and will try to win the trophy that has eluded him for so long in his career. It would be the end of the story if he ends his international stint in the South American nation, which the organizers of the tournament also want to see.
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the World Cup Delivery and Legacy Committee, spoke to Télam (h/t Minuto Uno) and made no secret of his genuine desire to see Messi lift the trophy for Argentina.
“Seeing Messi lift the trophy in his last World Cup would be something really special for us as organizers,” Al Thawadi said. “Let’s say if Argentina and Qatar win their groups, the two teams could meet in the quarter-finals.
“The Argentine team is on an incredible run at the moment and comes into the competition as one of the favorites. There are many fans of Argentina and Leo Messi in Qatar, and, for many, Argentina will probably be their second team after the Qatar team.”
Argentina are one of the favorites for the World Cup, but they will have opponents ready to put a stop to Messi’s storybook ending as Brazil and France are in the mix as favorites to win the competition.