The people of Argentina made it clear that they still need the services of one 'if not the' greatest players the nation has produced Lionel Messi after he shocked the world when he announced his retirement from international football after their shocking defeat at the hands of Chile the Copa America finals.
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The president of Argentina on Tuesday said he hopes to meet Lionel Messi next week and convince him to return to the national team.
President Mauricio Macri
said he had spoken by telephone with Messi after he announced his shock
retirement from the Argentine national team following the dramatic penalty
shoot-out defeat by Chile in the Copa America final last Sunday.
Messi returned to Argentina
on Monday, but has not spoken publicly about his decision.
Macri said he told Messi to 'ignore some of the nonsense because, truth be told, we are all very happy' with how the Barcelona star has played for Argentina.
Messi, who moved to
Barcelona aged 13, has often faced tough criticism in Argentina because he has
failed to deliver the country a major title. The lack of success with La
Albiceleste is in direct contrast to his huge trophy haul with the Catalan
giants at club level.
Messi is often compared
unfavourably to Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title,
but Macri said he didn't understand the criticism of a player widely
accepted as the world's best.
'The truth is that it's good fortune, a joy, a gift from God to have the best player in the world in a country like ours that is so football crazy,' said Macri, a former president of Boca Juniors.
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