Lionel Messi has pledged to keep playing for Argentina despite suffering yet another setback in his quest for a major international title. The 32-year-old Barcelona star, who previously retired from international football following Argentina’s defeat in the 2016 Copa America final, confirmed he has no intention of stepping away after their 2-0 semi-final loss to Brazil in this year’s tournament.
“If I can still help in any way, I will continue to do so. I feel really good in this group,” said Messi, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner. He praised the current squad, calling them a talented generation with a promising future. “They just need time,” he added.
Argentina will get another chance at glory next year when the Copa America is co-hosted by Argentina and Colombia, with the 2022 World Cup also on the horizon.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni expressed confidence in the team’s future despite the loss, praising the squad’s passion and their performance against Brazil. “Without a doubt, we showed that this group of players feels the jersey like no one else,” he said. Scaloni noted that the team created numerous goal-scoring opportunities and called the defeat “unfair,” emphasizing the positives from their performance.
Messi’s best opportunity came in the 57th minute when his volley struck the post, but despite the loss, Scaloni described Messi as Argentina’s “standard-bearer,” noting how Brazil constantly tried to shut him down.
Scaloni also voiced his dissatisfaction with the officiating by Ecuadoran referee Roddy Zambrano, criticizing several decisions that he felt disrupted the match’s balance.
Despite the disappointment, both Messi and Scaloni are looking ahead to future opportunities for Argentina to secure silverware.
