Lionel Messi's Argentina future unclear after Diego Maradona suggests retirement
Tuesday 2 October 2018 11:05, UK
Argentina interim coach Lionel Scaloni admits Lionel Messi's international future remains unclear after Diego Maradona suggested the Barcelona forward should quit the national team once more.
Messi is not in Argentina's squad for friendlies against Brazil and Iraq later this month, having also missed two matches in September.
The 31-year-old has not featured for Argentina since captaining the side at the World Cup, where they exited at the last-16 stage.
Messi cut a forlorn figure in Russia as Argentina struggled in another major tournament, and Scaloni concedes he does not know what the future holds, with the Copa America taking place next summer.
"I spoke with Messi about 10 days ago, after the talk we made the final decision he is not to be called up," Scaloni said.
"We do not talk about what could happen in a while, we talked about how the team played because honestly Leo sees everything.
"But not beyond that because in my head we have not planned more than six games."
On Sunday, Argentina legend Maradona suggested Messi should walk away from the national set-up after shouldering the blame for defeats in tournaments.
Argentina last won the World Cup in 1986 and Copa America in 1993, and Messi suffered agonising final defeats for three straight years when they lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany before Copa America defeats to Chile in 2015 and 2016.
Messi initially retired from international duty after the 2016 defeat, but after performing a U-turn, Maradona - who captained Argentina to their '86 victory - said his advice would be not to return this time around.
"What would I tell Messi? To not come back any more. To retire," Maradona told Clarin.
"The Under-15s lose and it is Messi's fault, the fixture list in Argentina puts Racing against Boca and Messi is to blame. He is always to blame.
"I would tell him: 'don't go anymore, man'. Let's see if they can handle that. Let's see if they're really big men.
"I would have liked to see him tell us all to **** off. Because he is not to blame for us not being world champions. Fine, we all placed our hopes in him, but when you go to the racetrack you hope your horse wins and he comes in eighth.
"Right now the national team doesn't do anything for me or for the people. We have lost that. The passion. It cannot play against Nicaragua or Malta, no, brother. We are throwing all the prestige we earned down the toilet."
