How Messi's decade of dominance almost never happened
Summary
Lionel Messi retired from international soccer as Argentina’s top scorer and player with the most appearances. He almost gave up his national team career in 2016 after several close losses but later continued to achieve great success, winning multiple major trophies with Argentina.Key Facts
- Messi retired from international football after Argentina’s Copa America loss in 2016 but reversed his decision two months later.
- Before the reversal, he had played 113 games and was disappointed by losses in the 2014 World Cup final and Copa America finals in 2007, 2015, and 2016.
- Since returning, Messi played 94 more games and scored 70 more goals for Argentina.
- He helped Argentina win four major trophies, including the 2022 World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
- Messi is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and has the most appearances for the national team.
- Diego Maradona once criticized Messi’s leadership, but Messi has since become Argentina’s key player.
- Before 2016, Messi was highly successful at club level with Barcelona, winning many titles and Ballon d’Or awards.
- The period between his 2016 retirement announcement and return is seen as a major moment in Argentine football history.
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