Rio Olympics 2016: 5 stars who will not be participating in the Games
With the preparations for the Rio Olympics underway in full flow in the host nation, there are also talks of those who will not be present in Rio to give the fans an event to remember. There have been worries over the security of the Games, whereas the Zika virus also has been a major concern for most of the athletes who have pulled out of the Games.
Certainly, the missing faces of some of the stars will be a huge loss for the Games, but it will not take away the shine off of the Games. Here are some of the stars who we will not see at the Games:
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Barcelona star Lionel Messi is one of the star players who will not be participating in the Rio Olympics. He had recently lost the Copa America Centenario held in the USA and after losing his third consecutive final in three years, Messi announced that it was the end of his career for his national side.
There is no word that can describe what a football player Messi is. But when it comes to his country, the Argentine has been very unlucky and the 5-time World Player of the Year will not be in Rio to represent his side.
He has already participated in the Copa America, therefore, even if he was ready to go to the Games, Barcelona would not have allowed him. Same was the case with Neymar, as the Brazilian was not allowed to participate in the Copa America, but will be playing in the Olympics.
In the Olympics, only three players over the age of 23 are allowed, which would mean Messi would not be one of those players, as he needs rest after a tough, long season with Barcelona.