Lionel Messi News: Argentine ace says he wouldn’t swap his Barcelona trophies for World Cup win
What's the story?
Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi has admitted that he would not trade any of his trophies with the Catalan giants in exchange for a major honour with Argentina despite the fact that international silverware is yet to be added to his already-lofty collection.
In case you didn't know...
Messi has earned his place among the football greats largely due to his illustrious career with Barcelona. The 32-year-old forward has been an influential figure at the Camp Nou for over a decade and has so far lifted 34 trophies with the Catalan outfit including ten La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns and ten Copa del Reys.
The Argentina captain may have established himself as one of the greatest players in the game but he has often been criticised for his inability to replicate his domestic success on the international stage, having failed to win a major tournament with his home country so far.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner came close to ending his international trophy drought when La Albiceleste met Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final. Since then, he has led his national team to two consecutive Copa America finals but was unable to inspire them to victory.
Messi infamously retired from international football in 2016 before making his return shortly afterward. He recently led Argentina to the semi-finals of the 2019 Copa America during which he was embroiled in controversy with CONMEBOL.
The heart of the matter
Speaking to TyC Sports, Messi has acknowledged that while he may never win a major title with Argentina, he would not swap any of his trophies with Barcelona for international glory.
He said, as per Marca,
"I would've loved to be a world champion. But I don't think I would change anything else in my career to be one.
"This is what I was given, what God gave me. It is what it is. I couldn't dream of everything that I experienced after. It was far bigger than anything I could've imagined."
What's next?
Barcelona will next face Valladolid in La Liga on Tuesday night.
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