#360view: Messi needs time off but must return for Argentina

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  • Lionel Messi.

    Lionel Messi’s relationship with the Argentina national team has always been complex and one that has undergone severe strain over the years. It’s never come close to being the seamless marriage he’s enjoyed with Barcelona.

    But even so, for the best player in the world, and arguably the greatest of all time, no one envisaged an exit from the international stage quite so despondent and premature.

    Messi’s announcement to retire from international football after Argentina’s Copa America final defeat to Chile on Monday came as a shock for a variety of reasons.

    A player of his stature, always deserved to ride off into the sunset with a major honour or two under his belt. However, if this was indeed his final bow, it was one dominated by despair and more deplorably, resignation.

    One can certainly sympathize with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. He’s consistently played in over 50 games a season for the last eight years. He hasn’t simply featured in those games either, he’s performed at an incredibly high level, scoring over 460 goals in the process.

    At some point, something’s got to give and the alarm bells have certainly been ringing of late. Having to play two Copa Americas and a World Cup in the last three years, Messi, who had previously enjoyed a relatively injury-free career, has been struck down by muscle injuries.

    Between Barcelona and the demands of the national team, Messi’s last three footballing seasons have comprised of a challenging 11 months each. Amidst it all, the Argentine has done some truly exceptional things on the field, moments that make you question whether he’s even from the same planet as the rest of us.

    When you consider just how much football he’s played and the magical performances he’s churned out in spite of it, his planet of origin is only further shrouded in doubt.

    It’s not just the sheer amount of football which would have taken its toll on Messi, it’s the weight of expectation that goes along with it. The last three years have been particularly decimating in terms of the physical and mental strain he’s had to cope with.

    Not only did Messi finish as a runner-up with Argentina in a major tournament for three years straight (2014 World Cup, 2015 & 2016 Copa America), two of those finals were decided by the cruelty of a penalty shootout while all three went to extra-time.

    If all of that doesn’t wear you down, nothing will.

    As disconsolate as he would’ve been in the dressing room after that emotionally sapping defeat to Chile, there is still a glimmer of hope that the world may see Messi in an Argentina shirt again.

    What is irrefutable is that the 29-year-old desperately needs a break. Opting out of international action for the time being would do him a world of good.

    He may just need some time away from La Albiceleste to rest, recharge his batteries and gain some perspective. Perhaps he will, with the help of the ones he holds dearest, eventually remind himself of what it means to represent your country. With the pressure to win that he’s been burdened with from the media, fans and pundits, he may have lost sight of that at the moment.

    Following his retirement at the end of the 2004 European Championship, Zinedine Zidane returned for the 2006 World Cup and carried France to the final, winning the Golden Ball in the process – although, that enticing narrative ended in heartache as well.

    In the depths of despair, and arguably the darkest hour of his career, he may have felt so dejected and perhaps even cursed, that he decided he’d had enough. But if he doesn’t return, he could eventually regret his decision not to persevere against all odds and be defiant to the end.

    He must remain driven by the pursuit of that one glorious moment that can make all the pain and heart-break worth it. If he were to win the 2018 World Cup, it would be his finest achievement, but if he backs out for good, he surrenders the opportunity to exorcise his demons.

    At this juncture though, no one should fault the Argentine for stepping back. Hopefully, his announcement was an emotionally infused knee-jerk reaction. However, if this is indeed him bidding farewell to the blue and white stripes, he is no more culpable. It would just be a desolate and quite frankly bleak ending to an international career that promised so much.

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