Retirement could hurt his legacy

Lionel Messi’s surprising decision to stop playing for Argentina could damage his legacy with the national team and fans back home.

If Messi sticks to his announcement, made in the heat of the moment shortly after Argentina’s penalty shootout loss to Chile in Sunday’s Copa America final, Argentina will be left dwelling on the fact that they were not able to win any significant title despite having one of the best players of all time.

Many fans back home didn’t like the fact that he thrived in his adopted country Spain but failed to consistently produce brilliant performances with the national team.

Some national team fans resorted to social media, calling their biggest star a quitter and saying that the 29-year-old would still be young enough to at least try to help Argentina win the coveted title in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Messi moved to Barcelona in 2001 when he was 13 and never seemed to be as welcome at home as he was in Spain with the club that made him the star he is today. His connection with Barcelona grew stronger over the years and some fans back in Argentina were bothered by it, especially when success continued to elude the national team.

If Messi doesn’t reconsider the decision and indeed ends his international career without a major title, he will fall further behind former great Diego Maradona in the always lively discussion in Argentina about who was the best player of all time, Maradona or Messi.