Messi ready and patient

DOHA. — Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was due to jet into Qatar yesterday hoping to crown his glorious career by lifting the football World Cup trophy as defending champions France also prepared to join the party.

Messi (35) has a sackful of trophies but the tournament in Qatar is likely to be his final chance to equal the achievement of fellow Argentine great Diego Maradona, a winner in 1986.

Two-time champions Argentina were due to play a friendly against Abu Dhabi yesterday, hoping to extend their unbeaten run to 36 matches. But Paris Saint-Germain forward Messi is cautious about the team’s chances in Qatar, even though they are among the favourites. “We are very excited,” the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner said in an interview with CONMEBOL, the South American football federation.

“We have a very nice group that is very eager, but we think about going little by little. We know that World Cup groups are not easy.”

Argentina launch their campaign against Saudi Arabia on November 22, with Mexico and Poland also in their group.

Coach Lionel Scaloni has tried to reduce the pressure on his team, who ended a 28-year trophy drought at last year’s Copa America and are ranked third in the world.

“We’re conscious what football represents for Argentina but it’s sport and that’s why we have to step on the pitch and do our own thing,” he said.

“We have to come out and play the way we know how to. And then there are a lot of unknowns.” France were also due to arrive in Doha yesterday, seeking to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. Ten members of the 2018 title-winning squad return, including captain Hugo Lloris, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

But the defending champions, grouped with Australia, Denmark and Tunisia, are without first-choice midfield pair Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.

Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, who has missed a series of games for Real Madrid this season because of injury, is set for his first World Cup appearance since 2014.