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Lionel Messi says he’s done playing for Argentina after latest championship loss

Photo by Adam Hunge/USA Today Sports
Photo by Adam Hunge/USA Today Sports

As if losing a third straight major tournament final wasn’t painful enough for fans of Argentina’s national team, the big news after Sunday’s Copa America Centenario final may have hurt even more.

A dejected Lionel Messi said he is done playing for Argentina, making the statement in the wake of Argentina’s 4-2 penalty shootout loss to Chile on Sunday night. Messi delivered the statement in the bowels of MetLife Stadium a mere hour after missing Argentina’s first shootout attempt.

“I was thinking in the locker room that this is it for me in terms of the national team,” said Messi. “It has been four finals (without a win). It’s not for me. I tried to find (a championship), it’s what I wanted most. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it, but I think that’s it.”

The news could get even worse for Argentina, with Javier Mascherano and Sergio Aguero also reportedly contemplating the end of their careers with Argentina.

The 29-year-0ld Messi, who has made 112 appearances for the Albiceleste and scored a record 55 goals, has come up short in a championship game at a major competition for three straight years with his nation. The first loss was suffered against Germany at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The next two came at the hands of Chile at the 2015 Copa America and Copa America Centenario on Sunday.

Messi recently became Argentina’s leading scorer, passing Gabriel Batistuta with a free-kick goal in the semifinal round against the U.S. Men’s National Team.

What do you think of Messi deciding to walk away from Argentina? Think it was just him talking in the heat of the moment? Expecting him to play internationally again?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. In their last four finals, three of which went to extra time, Argentina have failed to score a goal. Hard to fathom.

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  2. I don’t think Messi says things to the press without having contemplated and gone over it in his head before hand. Some posts have indicated that he has been affected by the Argentine press’s criticisms, which is likely true. There’s also an issue with the AFA, as Mascherano and Aguero are going to leave as well. If anything this shows that Messi may not be the best player of all time, however, on the club level there has been no equal.

    As a side note, this site has taken a precipitous fall in the last few years. . .think I’m done with it 😉

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  3. As a Chile supporter even I would be sad to see Messi out of international competition. Chile didn’t contain him every time but they know he’s dangerous and know he can be rattled with physicality.
    Chile has improved greatly playing against him throughout the years and now they’ll have to play against his replacements.

    He’s carelessly blurted out his emotions after Chiles victory and he may go back on that.

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  4. The irony is Argentina played better and looked better in the opening rounds without Messi. They certainly did in the first Chile game. He is a liability because he just walks around and plays no defense. When you are down to 10 men you have to play defense.

    Can we all put to bed the greatest of all time stuff now? He for sure, is not. Greatest of all time don’t quit. They make it happen despite all of the odds and lift everyone on their shoulders. In that moment, he has folded again.

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    • Just ridiculous. If Higuain finishes his easy chances in any of the last three finals, we’re not having this stupid discussion. Messi is one of the greatest of all time, and will be even if he never wins anything with Argentina.

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  5. Messi is no leader and Messi is too sensitive, therefore Messi should never been the Captain to relieve the pressure toward himself.

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  6. If Argentina can qualify for Russia without needing him for the rest of the CONMEBOL qualifying campaign, I see him being called upon for 2018 and by then he might reconsider. I have no doubt that right now he cannot see himself putting on the national team colors again but time does funny things to people and it’s reasonable to think that he will still be amonst Argentina’s best XI in two summers.

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  7. Not all that shocking, something was going on when Messi lashed out at the federation even before the final. I think he might have been done win or lose. Has always had a difficult relationship with the press and fans in Argentina anyway. Maybe he’d just rather put that last years of his prime focused on the club that made him.

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    • That was my immediate thought, too.

      I don’t follow Argentina or any rumblings of what might be going on with Messi and the AFA, but his statement of: “Once again waiting on a plane to leave for our destination. What a disaster the AFA are. My god!” in reaction to the airline delaying takeoff due to weather related issues seemed over the top and loaded.

      Regarding the actual story, the journalist on every website/news source are certainly angling to characterize this as definite or final. However, every quote I’m seeing now appears to be an upset player and appear anything but certain.

      A lot of ambiguity and emotion and less finality.

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      • …and with saying that, I’m finding actual video footage of him saying he doesn’t think he’ll ever wear the Argentina kit again.

        However, I still think it’s an emotional reaction and hard to fathom a competitor, especially an all-time great, walking away from his country on that kind of note at the young age of 29 with less than 24 months from Russia 2016.

      • When Maradonna said publicly that if they don’t win they shouldn’t bother to come home, it didn’t help.

  8. No way. Now this is what pressure looks like. Down in Argentina they EXPECT to win because they know top to bottom at any given moment they have one of the top three teams in the world so when they fail in these shootouts major tournament after major tournament, it gets inside their mind. Messi is just tired of the critcism but Chile had the bigger heart and was able to win the penalty shootout. They did not outplay argentina but in soccer you get pens. Good for Chile to defend their title.

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