Following a one-month retirement that saw him miss zero games, Lionel Messi has come out of international retirement and will return to the Argentina national team. "I gave serious thought to quitting," Messi said in a statement released by his PR team to Argentine media, "but my love for my country and this shirt is too great."
Lionel Messi ends international retirement, will play for Argentina in September
Argentina’s one-month national nightmare is over.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Argentina recently hired Edgardo Bauza as their new coach, and he flew to Spain this month to speak to Messi about possibly reversing his decision to retire. Following that meeting, Bauza said there was “no doubt” in his mind that Messi “wants to return to play for the national team.”
Messi announced his international retirement in an emotional interview following the Copa America final. Argentina lost that game on penalties, and Messi missed from the spot. It was the third consecutive final that Messi lost with Argentina, and it happened on the back of a slew of issues with the federation that led to other players also threatening to quit.
Argentina currently sits third in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, with the top four teams automatically progressing to the finals in Russia. They face Uruguay at home on Sept. 1 and Venezuela away on Sept. 6.
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