World Cup victor Diego Maradona has called on compatriot Lionel Messi not to abandon worldwide football after the Argentina captain announced he was quitting the national side following Sunday’s Copa America final defeat.
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But Argentine legend Maradona – regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all-time – said Messi, whom he coached during his time as national team boss between 2008 and 2010, must play at the 2018 World Cup.
FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi of Argentina holds the World Player of the Year award during the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2015 ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, January 11, 2016.
Argentina’s next competitive match is a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in September, but now it’s uncertain what kind of team it will have then, as other players from Messi’s generation may also decide to leave the national team.
He had to be pulled out of a cesspit he fell into as a two-year-old, fought tooth-and-nail for everything he achieved and, with his vast footballing talent, led Argentina to their second World Cup triumph in 1986 in Mexico.
Many fans back home didn’t like the fact that he thrived in his adopted country Spain but failed to consistently produce brilliant performances with the national team. “He must go on because he has it in him and will last for a long while, because he will reach Russian Federation in conditions to become world champion”.
“Messi must carry on in the national team. because he still has a lot to give, because he’ll get to (2018 World Cup hosts) Russian Federation with chances of being world champion”, Maradona was quoted as saying in the Argentine daily La Nación on Monday. “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.
Ahead of this month’s Copa, Maradona himself accused Messi of having “no personality” for a captain.
The heartbroken Barcelona superstar left the field in tears on Sunday after missing a spot-kick in the shootout-Messi’s fourth straight defeat in a major final with Argentina.
“Messi was abandoned and I don’t want to abandon him”.
He, however, did not clearly mentioned if he too was going to resign, while some reports have claimed that Javier Mascherano and Gonzalo Higuain were set to tender their resignations.
“It’s a hard moment for me and the team, and it’s difficult to say, but it’s over with the Argentina team”.
Messi also tasted defeat with Argentina in the final of the 2007 Copa America. “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.
In this month’s Copa semi-final win over the United States, he became Argentina’s top global scorer of all time with his 55th goal.
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“But losing you is the most painful defeat of all”.
