Andy Murray "happy" for Lionel Messi after Argentine finally leads country to FIFA World Cup title

Former World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray congratulated football legend Lionel Messi after he finally won the FIFA World Cup in Qatar with Argentina.

Messi led his country to their third title and was awarded the Golden Ball, given to the player of the tournament, after he scored 7 goals and 3 assists throughout the event.

Murray called the PSG forward "amazing" and revealed it was 'strange' that he was not as successful at the international level. He said,

"He's amazing and I was really happy for him that he was able to finally win the World Cup when it was sort of like, he was seen as not having done it international level, which was strange."

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The former Wimbledon champion compared Messi's longevity to the likes of Federer and Nadal in tennis and mentioned that he feels motivated by them.

"'The age that he's at as well, he's born I think the same year as me. Seeing any athlete in their mid to late 30s going out there and competing at what they love is brilliant."

He added,

"I've had the opportunity to witness that a bit in tennis, whether that's Serena or Federer and Nadal and these guys in our own sport. I find that it gives me the motivation to keep going and keep trying to go out there and perform as best I can."

"If my body is in good shape and I'm still able to compete consistently, I'll keep playing" - Andy Murray

Andy Murray signs a copy of his book for a fan

Andy Murray had a solid 2022 season, which saw him return to the top 50 in the world after his comeback from injuries. The 35-year-old mentioned that he would like to continue playing the sport as long as his body is in good shape. He said,

"If my body is in good shape and I'm still able to compete consistently, I'll keep playing. But I can't look so far in advance with the age I'm at and with the issues, I've had. If I was to have a big injury, I probably wouldn't try to come back from that."

The Brit credited hard work in the gym to being in "better shape" in 2022 as compared to previous seasons.

"I'm certainly in better shape than I was. A lot of work was done in the gym, trying to build up my endurance and my stamina a bit and I'm hoping that's going to help me next year."