sport news Lionel Messi is primed for global glory, as Argentina offer him a final shot at ... trends now

It would be unfair for Lionel Messi to retire without winning a World Cup.' Those were the words of Spain manager Luis Enrique last week. 

And it is a sentiment shared by many in Qatar, where there is an overwhelming desire for the brilliant Argentine to finally triumph on the biggest stage.

You do not need to venture far in Doha before you see someone wearing an Argentina shirt with 'Messi 10' on the back. 

Some are Argentines, some are locals, and others have travelled from far and wide in the hope of getting a glimpse of one of the greatest players of all time who will line up against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning as his country kick off their tournament.

Chants of 'Messi, Messi, Messi' are regularly heard in the streets and fan parks. But it is quiet, calm and remote in the northern outskirts of Doha at the Qatar University, where the forward and his team-mates are based.

Argentina shunned five-star luxury in favour of student halls because the expansive campus allows them to host traditional barbecues. It is a family feel for a squad who are united.

For many Argentines, Messi will never be elevated to the same level as Diego Maradona if he does not win the World Cup. This is his last chance, but it could also be his best.

'This is a special moment, most likely my last World Cup,' he said on Monday. 'My last opportunity to make my dream — our dream — a reality. I don't know if it's the best moment of my career but I feel really well. I think I am enjoying it much more now.'

It is a completely different scenario from when Argentina made the final in 2014. Messi went into that tournament with the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

The pressure on him to deliver was huge. He was expected to lead an average team to glory, as Maradona had done in 1986. He came agonisingly close.

There had been a feeling in the build-up that Messi had

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