Copa America Final on Sunday had a dramatic end; Chile won the game 4-2 after penalties and Argentina continued to have misfortune in Copa America Finals for the second consecutive time and followed by the loss of Argentina, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from global football.
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Messi blazed a penalty over the bar in the shoot-out before Lucas Biglia missed to leave Chile’s Francisco Silva with the task of stroking home the winning spot-kick in New Jersey, USA.
Argentina manager Gerardo Martino, who had not heard about Messi’s retirement when he spoke to the press after the match, urged his entire squad to continue playing for the national team despite their frustrations with the AFA.
“It’s difficult, it’s a hard time for any analysis”. He has won every competition going in his club career, but it is his lack of success at global level that will really hurt him.
“It is for the good of everyone, for me and for all…I’ve tried a lot and we can’t win a title”.
Lionel Messi captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. “There may have been better players in the past, although personally, I doubt it, but none who has been quite as exhilaratingly pleasurable to watch”. Besides, Messi has never been more of a player who has risen to the occasion to rescue his national team in times of need. It’s been four finals. First of all for me, and then for everyone.
Messi, widely regarded as the best player in the world, may have felt especially down after missing a penalty kick in the defeat.
As an Argentine worldwide, Messi is Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer with 55 goals in 112 matches. “It wasn’t meant to be, and unfortunately I leave without having achieved it”.
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Argentina’s next major global tournament would be the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation.
