Argentina coach Gerardo Martino, whose side failed to end their 23-year title drought in major worldwide competitions, was understandably downbeat but said his team must have the resilience to come back from disappointment.
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They were beaten 1-0 by Germany in the final of the 2014 World Cup and lost on penalties, also to Chile, in the 2015 Copa America final. “Thanks for everything @sefootball”, – the official Instagram for Spain’s national football team.
“It’s tough, it’s not the time for analysis”.
Dozens of emotional fans wearing the white and sky-blue striped jerseys of the national team, adorned with Messi’s number 10, waited in the rain for the team to arrive back from the tournament in the United States. “That’s the way I feel right now, it’s a huge sadness once again and I missed the penalty that was so important”, he told reporters.
Messi has a complicated relationship with his country. He also won eight Spanish league titles, scoring 453 competitive goals in 531 games, including a league-record 312. I think there’s a lot of people who want this, who obviously are not satisfied, as we are not satisfied reaching a final and not winning it. But it didn’t happen.
Messi said that it has been four finals and he tried his best as he wanted to win but somehow he could not get and so he thinks that it is over. But I am sure he will reconsider his decision. I’ve asked many of my friends if Messi is really the greatest player of all time and they all swear by it. According to Cubero, the five-time Ballon d’Or victor has always been hampered by comparisons with Diego Maradona.
‘Messi was clear, Argentina will never be Barca, ‘ wrote the deputy director of Sport, Lluís Mascaró, in an editorial. It’s our third consecutive final. “You know these are the players who don ” t go on holidays after the club season.
Argentina legend Diego Maradona has urged Lionel Messi to reconsider his retirement from global football.
The father figure of Argentina team, Diego Maradona, who alone helped the team achieve the trophy in the 1986 World Cup, criticized Messi due to lack of personality.
“But I believe that we have to give Messi some space, so that he stays with his family and his club and enjoys being there”.
At the age of 29, Messi can still play at least the 2018 World Cup. “Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won’t see what a disaster Argentine football has become”, Maradona said.
The world’s attention quickly turned from Chile’s heroics in retaining their title to Messi’s shock retirement.
Speculation has it that Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain, Lucas Biglia, Angel Di Maria, Javier Mascherano, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Aguero are all considering walking away from the national team.
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Messi racked up five goals during the Copa America, which usually takes place after every four years.
