Qatar 2022 will be the last FIFA World Cup for Lionel Messi

Bengaluru, October 7: Argentinian football great Lionel Messi has confirmed that Qatar 2022 will be his last FIFA World Cup.

The mercurial Paris Saint-Germain forward will attempt to lift the trophy for the first time after helping his country win the Copa America last year.

The 35-year-old said he will not play in another FIFA World Cup following the showpiece in Qatar, which starts on November 20.

"This is my last World Cup, surely, yes," the Argentinian captain told Star+.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner does not believe Argentina go into the tournament as the favourites to be crowned champions.

He added: "We aren't the top favourites. I think there're other teams that're above us today.

"We arrived at a good moment because of how things turned out and with a very strong group. Afterwards, in a World Cup anything can happen, it's very difficult. The favourites aren't always the ones who end up winning.

"I see similar things from the group with the one from 2014. We can't wait to get together."

The 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil was the closest Messi has come to winning the tournament, with Argentina beaten 1-0 by Germany in the final.

For the records, the Qatar 2022 will be a 29-day affair -- the shortest in FIFA World Cup history -- with the tiny Middle East country hosting the mega event at eight venues -- Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Educational City, Al Rayyan, Al Bayt, Al Thumama, Stadium 974 and Lusail Stadium.

The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup will start on November 20 and the final will be held on December 18, to coincide with Qatar's National Day at the 80,000-seater iconic Lusail Stadium, which embodies the country's ambition and its passion for sharing Arab culture with the world.

The Qatar 2022 World Cup is the first in the FIFA's 92-year history to be played in a Muslim country with such strict social taboos around alcohol.

Questions about how Qatar would cater for fans wanting to drink alcohol have been asked since FIFA picked the host nation in 2010. The next year, FIFA renewed a sponsor deal through 2022 with Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch.