It’s possible he felt the weight of his compounded failures and announced his retirement from global soccer in the heat of the moment, but it’s also hard to believe he’d say something like that - as calmly as he did - if he didn’t mean it.
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Messi moved to Barcelona in 2001 when he was 13 and never seemed to be as welcome at home as he was in Spain with the club that made him the star he is today.
One of the most decorated players in the game, Messi’s only worldwide honour is a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. I believe Messi is the best player in history.
Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo then denied Lucas Biglia, leaving Francisco Silva with the chance to win the title for his nation and he duly obliged to condemn Argentina to another disappointing defeat in a final.
A coin-toss victory would probably not have made him quit playing for Argentina, but it would have certainly anxious him after the open-deck bus victory parade was over.
“He will not leave – you will see”, said Ricardo Miranda, 47, a passerby in a rainy Buenos Aires on Monday morning.
“It is really unfair”.
Messi, five-time FIFA Player of the Year, victor of four Champions League titles and eight Spanish La Liga crowns with Barcelona, was crushed. And new FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Messi a pat on the back when Messi came onto the podium with his teammates for his second-place medal.
Former India cricket captain and Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) co-owner Sourav Ganguly said he is hopeful that Messi will reconsider his decision.
Lionel Messi put his penalty kick over the crossbar, grabbed his shirt, clenched his teeth and covered his face with both hands.
One year later Argentina and Chile met in the Copa America Centenario again and just like last year 120 minutes weren’t enough to separate the two sides. The closest Messi has come was the 2014 final, when his muted performance barely troubled Germany.
Kind of like Messi has allegedly done before, by refusing to accept the “best player” award at the 2015 Copa America. “I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over”.
But while universally regarded as one of the greatest footballers ever, he has regularly been targeted for his inability to land a major title in the colors of Argentina.
Argentina are already six games into their qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup.
Fest, the author of “The Messi Mystery” was defending the Barcelona No. 10 against Maradona’s preposterous suggestion he had no substance.
“He is the best, he is the best outside (of Argentina) but he just has no luck here”, Guido Stanchi said.
The television screens showed a devastated Messi with head bowed after missing his penalty at Sunday’s game in the United States. “For me the numbers are impossible to argue with”.
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In a letter he wrote in Sports Illustrated, Messi responded to the criticism.
