"We don't want him to leave" - Argentina star hopes Lionel Messi won't retire from international football after 2022 FIFA World Cup

Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is hopeful about Lionel Messi not hanging up his boots after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Messi, 35, is set to captain La Albiceleste in the quadrennial tournament this month in his fifth and final appearance. He helped his side lift the Copa America trophy last year. The Paris Saint-Germain ace is now on a mission to end their 36-year wait for the prestigious trophy.

Argentina are considered one of the favorites to win the month-long competition owing to their ongoing 36-match unbeaten run. Ranked third in the world, Lionel Scaloni's side is in a rich vein of form, lifting two international trophies in the last 15 months.

Speaking to Albion TV, Mac Allister shared his thoughts about Messi's future in international colors post-2022 FIFA World Cup. He said:

"We don't want him to leave the national team. He's very important for us, for the country. So hopefully, he is not [retiring]. It's better not to think about him leaving the national team."

Analyzing La Albiceleste's chances in Qatar, Mac Allister added:

"We are really confident about ourselves. We will try to do our best to lift the World Cup. We always want to be champions and that has to be our mentality. We know that the people are getting excited about Argentina because we've got the best player in the world, really good players and a really good team."

Argentina are scheduled to open their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Group C against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (22 November).

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Lionel Messi opines on Argentina's chances in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

Speaking on Movistar+ (via BU), Argentina captain Lionel Messi stated that his team should head into each contest with a grounded approach ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He said:

"We didn't have many clashes against European teams. I think we're in a good moment but we must not fall into the error of people's madness and believe we're favourites to win the World Cup. We have to be realistic and take it step by step."

Messi, who has registered six goals and five assists in 19 FIFA World Cup games, highlighted three teams as his country's rivals. He added:

"Despite the injuries, I think France have a great team for the World Cup. Brazil have great players, they have Neymar. Spain is a team that is very clear about their style. They make you run, they get the ball out and they have players with a lot of quality."

Argentina reached the final in the 2014 World Cup edition but fell to Germany.