The Barcelona star missed a penalty in the Copa America final shootout in his 112th appearance for La Albiceleste and he has now stunned the footballing world by announcing that he is quitting international football after the Copa America final mishap.
“It’s tough, it’s not the time for analysis,” Messi said. “In the dressing room I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it’s not for me.
“That’s the way I feel right now, it’s a huge sadness once again and I missed the penalty that was so important.
“I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. But it didn’t happen. I couldn’t do it.
“It’s been four finals, I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over,” he said.
Sergio Aguero, Messi’s best friend on the team, said he had never seen the mood in the dressing room so low, while Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero is hopeful that Messi may rethink his decision.
“I think Leo spoke in the heat of the moment because we missed that great chance,” said Romero.
The Copa American final in New Jersey was the Barcelona star’s 112th appearance for his country.
Messi scored five goals in the tournament, but blasted his penalty over the bar after the game finished 0-0 after 120 minutes.
Messi hangs up his international boots as Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer, having netted 55 times for his country, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta last week
Despite winning everything there is to win in the club game with Barcelona, he has not won a major international honour, expect for the a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Under-20 World Cup.
Sunday night’s Copa America final loss was the third time he was finished as a runner-up in the tournament, following losses in the 2007 and 2015 finals.
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