Leandro Paredes has claimed Lionel Messi had already decided the World Cup final would be his final game for Argentina.Speculation has been rife over Messi’s international future after he was unable to inspire his country to World Cup glory, as they were beaten 1-0 by Spain after extra-time in a one-sided final.Lionel Messi is yet to tell the world what the future holds for him on the international stageGettyFerran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th-minute, with the match being marred by ugly scenes afterwards.A mass brawl broke out when Argentina’s players were involved in a series of bust-ups, with midfielder Paredes at the heart of this as he threw punches and grappled with Spain’s Eric Garcia and Gavi.Meanwhile Messi was left heartbroken by the defeat in New York, breaking down in tears after receiving his runners-up medal.At 39, there is every chance this was the footballing icon’s last game for his national team, although he is yet to officially confirm this.‘It hurts’The fallout from the ill-tempered World Cup final has continued in recent days, with Argentina coming in for huge criticism for their actions at the final whistle, not least Paredes.FIFA are set to launch an investigation into the ugly full-time scenes, and the 32-year-old could well face punishment for his actions.But Paredes certainly hasn’t put his life on hold as he awaits his fate, making his return to club football with Boca Juniors on Thursday.In a remarkably quick turnaround, the Argentina star played the full 90 minutes and assisted the only goal as his side claimed a 1-0 win over O’Higgins in the Copa Sudamericana.After the match, Paredes was asked about Messi’s international future, and replied: “It hurts because I think we said it throughout the World Cup – we didn’t want his last game to come.“I think he had already decided that this would be his last game with the national team.Paredes admitted he thinks Messi has already made his mind up on his Argentina futureX: @messixtrahqThe midfielder returned to play a key role for Boca Juniors in their Copa Sudamericana last-16 play-off winGetty”I hope not – I hope he can keep playing. It’ll be his decision, and whatever he decides, if it makes him happy, it’ll make us happy too. So, let’s hope so.”As for Paredes, he received a hero’s welcome as he took to Boca Juniors’ iconic La Bombonera home as captain once again.The ex-Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has been widely criticised for his violent rampage in the World Cup final, not least from talkSPORT’s Gabby Agbonlahor, who called for him to be banned from the next edition of the tournament.Back on home turf though, Paredes received a warm reception from the fans of his hometown club, and he expressed his appreciation afterwards.He said: “[I have] nothing but gratitude to the fans. “Having the fans applaud and cheer for me throughout the entire match is a beautiful thing. I am truly grateful.”Paredes was back in action days after his violent rampage in the World Cup finalGettyMessi retirement: What has been said?With Paredes sharing his belief that Messi has likely played his final game for Argentina, this isn’t the only hint towards his international retirement in recent days.Moments before the World Cup final, Messi was seen addressing his teammates, where he tells them to ‘forget about everything else’.Footage from the tunnel shows the Argentina captain trying to motivate his players, who all appear downbeat.He says: “Let’s just concentrate on playing, nothing else – calm, okay? Forget everything else.”While it is unclear what exactly the Albiceleste captain was telling his teammates to forget about, there has speculation this could be in response to him announcing his international retirement to them.This would perhaps explain the emotionally charged performance from the 2022 world champions in the final.Messi was in tears after collecting the second World Cup runners-up medal of his careerGettyWhile they were typically aggressive, this boiled over in the latter stages, with Enzo Fernandez being sent off towards the end of normal time.And their aggression turned into pure chaos at full-time in a mass brawl, as Paredes threw punches, while Nahuel Molina struck Spain captain Rodri.Messi is yet to address his international future himself, who released an emotional statement in the aftermath of Argentina’s final defeat sharing his heartbreak, and thanking fans for their support.The sporting great scored eight goals and assisted another four at the World Cup – only failing to contribute against Spain.He hinted at possible retirement before kick-off as his boots for the final had ‘El Ultimo Tango’, which is ‘The Last Tango’, written on them.However, he is under contract at Inter Miami until December 2028, and there is nothing concrete in regards to him calling it quits.