"I have to choose carefully" - Lionel Messi reveals if he will play for Argentina at the Olympics
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has revealed whether he will feature for his national team at the Paris Olympics. The 36-year-old decided not to travel to the French capital after talking to Olympic coach and former Barcelona teammate Javier Mascherano.
Messi's Argentina are the reigning Copa America champions and are widely considered to defend their title this year. The final of the competition is scheduled for July 14, while the Olympic football tournament, which will be played in France, will kick off just 10 days later.
The Argentine maestro claimed that he doesn't want to be away from Inter Miami for too long as it could potentially hamper their chances of winning an MLS title. Messi also mentioned that he is not in a physical condition to play two high-octane tournaments back-to-back and then be fit for club duty as well.
Speaking to ESPN, Messi said (via Inter Miami News)
"I talked to Mascherano and the truth is we both understood the situation. It’s hard [to think about the Olympics right now] because we’re in Copa America. It would be two, three straight months of not being with the club, and more than anything I’m not at an age to be in everything. I have to choose carefully, and it would be too much to play two straight tournaments."
Although he declined to participate in the 2024 edition, Messi fondly reminisced about the gold medal that he won alongside Mascherano at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He added:
"I've been very lucky to play in the Olympics, of winning it together with Masche. It was a wonderful experience on a football level. Olympics, U-20, memories I'll never forget."
"For me, yes" - Lionel Messi names national team compatriot as 'best in the world' in his position
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi named his compatriot Emiliano Martinez as the best goalkeeper in the world. He claimed in a recent interview with ESPN talking about his ambitions with the national team.
The former Barcelona and PSG forward said (via Birmingham Mail) when asked about Martinez:
"For me yes, I think that if he is not the best in the world he is among the best without a doubt. He has been showing it in the national team and in his club."
In the 2023-24 season, Martinez helped his club Aston Villa finish fourth in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League. He kept 14 clean sheets in 47 games and had a save percentage of 66 percent (95 out of 143 shots saved) (via FootyStats).
The shot-stopper was named as the best goalkeeper of the tournament in Argentina's victorious campaigns in the 2021 Copa America and 2022 FIFA World Cup. The 31-year-old will once again be at the forefront of La Albiceleste's defense of the Copa America title they won three years ago.