Tuesday 10 May 2016 10:52, UK
Argentina captain Lionel Messi concedes he is disappointed he will not represent his country at the Olympic Games in Rio.
The Barcelona talisman was left out of his nation's Olympic squad in order to take part in the Copa America Centenario, which begins on June 3 and will be held in the United States.
Argentina coach Gerardo Martino stressed that Messi, who won gold at the Beijing Games in 2008, agreed with the decision as Argentina aim to make up for last year's disappointing Copa America final loss to Chile.
Having savoured the 2008 Olympics and the U20s World Cup in the Netherlands in 2005, Messi is frustrated to miss the event in Brazil.
"I would have liked to go because it was a spectacular experience for me to play in the Olympics, just as it was for the U20 World Cup," Messi told ESPN.
"Not just because we won, but for the experience I gained.
"It was a great experience to stay in the Olympic Village and meet other elite athletes from other sports and to be just another athlete among them; that was very spectacular even though we didn't spend a lot of time in the village.
"The World Cup is great but the Olympics are something special."
