“Never give up on your dreams” - Lionel Messi thrilled to be ending career as the ‘champion of everything’

Lionel Messi gave an interview with Adidas Football and gave his verdict on his career, stating he was thrilled to go out as 'the champion of everything.' The Argentine megastar has won 43 trophies for club and country, the same as former Barcelona teammate Dani Alves.

The Argentine ace has already established himself as one of the greatest players ever and has a strong shout for being the GOAT. He has also won seven Ballon d'Or awards, the most in the sport's history.

In an interview with Adidas Football, Lionel Messi said:

“Now almost at the end of my career to finish in this way as a champion of EVERYTHING is something I’m enjoying immensely.”

He added:

“I learned it’s not only about winning, but the journey itself also teaches valuable life lessons and I believe that desire to achieve, the willingness to try, especially when things may or may not work out is crucial. Never give up on your dreams.”

Lionel Messi started his professional club career with Barcelona, making his senior debut for the club on November 16, 2003, at the age of 16. He went on to score 672 goals and provide 303 assists in 778 appearances over the span of 17 seasons.

The 35-year-old won 35 major trophies for the Blaugrana, including 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies.

Lionel Messi then joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2021 and plied his trade in the French capital for two seasons. The Argentine superstar won three trophies, including two Ligue 1 titles with the Parisian side.

Messi has also tasted success on the international stage. He won the FIFA World Youth Championship in 2005 for the Argentina U20 and the 2008 Summer Olympics for the U23 side.

Despite losing four finals and temporarily retiring from the national team in 2016, he refused to give up entirely. Lionel Messi returned and won three more trophies for his country. This includes the 2021 Copa America, 2022 Finalissima, and 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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Lionel Messi confirms he would have retired from international duty if Argentina failed to win 2022 FIFA World Cup

Lionel Messi recently confirmed he would have retired from international duty if Argentina had failed to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in December.

Messi revealed this in an exclusive interview called The Key to Eternity. He said (via Forbes):

"After I won everything at the club and individual level, if I hadn't done it with the national team I would have been missing something."

He added:

"Throughout the World Cup I enjoyed it a lot, like it had never happened to me before. I knew it could be my last World Cup, and if we weren't world champions, I wouldn't be in the national team anymore."

The Argentine skipper led his nation to their third World Cup win, winning the Golden Ball in the process. He netted seven goals as Argentina narrowly downed France in the finals during the penalty shootout.

He hasn't retired from international duty but confirmed he would not feature in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as per Chinese outlet Titan Sports.