soccer120: MESSI RETIRES

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Lionel Messi comes out of retirement

By Unknown 22:11:00 ARGENTINA, MESSI, MESSI RETIRES

Lionel Messi has rescinded his decision to quit as captain of Argentina, reversing his decision in June to retire from international soccer.

The Barcelona forward said he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America in the United States. However, in a statement on Friday, Messi explained that he wanted to continue representing his country as he preferred “to help from within”.

“I consider there to be a lot of problems in Argentine football and it’s not my intention to create another one,” the 29-year-old said. “There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved in Argentine football but I prefer to help from within and not to criticise from the outside.

“A lot of things went through my mind on the night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting but my love for my country and this shirt is too great,” the player said. Messi will be named in new coach Edgardo Bauza’s squad to face Uruguay and Venezuela in 2018 World Cup, South American qualifiers to be held in the first week of September.

Bauza was in Barcelona on Thursday for a meeting with his team captain. Meanwhile, Messi has lost in three consecutive finals while on duty with the Argentina national team.

Diego Maradona and Argentine President Ask Lionel Messi to Reconsider Retirement

By Unknown 02:53:00 MESSI, MESSI RETIRES

Lionel Messi has been urged to reconsider his international retirement by Argentina legend Diego Maradona, who described the state of Argentine football as a 'disaster' after Gerardo Martino's side failed to win yet another major tournament final.

Messi and his Argentina teammates have been dealt heartbreak in major tournament finals three summers running, with all three (World Cup 2014, Copa America 2015, 2016) finishing 0-0 at the end of normal time and being decided in either extra time or on penalties

Messi announced his retirement after Sunday night's shootout defeat to Chile, but Maradona told La Nacion: "Messi has to stay in the national team. He will go to Russia in form to be world champion.

"He has to rely more on boys who can help take the team forward and less on those who say they have to go. Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won't see what a disaster Argentine football has become."

He added: "I am very sorry and very angry with what is happening to Argentine football. We hit bottom, we reached the bottom."

A spokesman for Argentine president Mauricio Macri told AFP that the country's leader had been in touch with arguably its most famous son, saying: "He [Macri] called him and told him how proud he feels of the national team's performance and asked him not to listen to the criticism.”

Macri also tweeted his own message, saying: “I never feel greater pride in our team. I hope the joy of seeing the best in the world will continue for many years more. #NoTeVayasLio.”

Sergio Aguero had said after the match: “The likelihood is that Messi is not the only one that will leave the national team. There are several players like me that are evaluating whether or not to continue."