At the age of thirty-nine, Lionel Messi delivered an outstanding World Cup campaign; he managed to score eight goals and carried the Argentine national team on his shoulders until reaching the final match before losing 1-0 to Spain.

Except for that final match, where he failed to shine except in the final minutes, Messi managed to impress all football fans once again, not only with his playing style that everyone has been accustomed to for years, but also with his continued ability to lead the Argentine ship at this age while playing in a less competitive league like the American league.

Everyone feared that the final match against Spain in New Jersey would be the "last dance" for the Argentine star on the international stage with his national team, and those fears were almost confirmed by his teammate Leandro Paredes, who settled the debate by saying, according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo: "I think he has made his decision, and that it was indeed his last match with the national team. I hope that is not the case, and I hope he can continue playing, but ultimately the decision is his; whatever makes him happy will certainly make us happy, so we hope that, we hope he continues."

Messi has given a lot to the Argentine national team in terms of titles, especially during the era of coach Lionel Scaloni, which saw the winning of two Copa América titles, a World Cup title, and the Finalissima trophy, which has earned him the utmost respect from his teammates; Paredes said after recently playing for his club Boca Juniors: "It is painful because I think we said that throughout the World Cup, we did not want that last match to come, we did not want it at all."