Copa America: Messi’s retirement represents years of needless pressure

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Lionel Messi speaks in a quiet voice, but his words echo around the globe. The Barcelona forward kept things simple in the wake of Argentina’s Copa America Centenario defeat to Chile on Sunday, confirming he is likely to step away from the national team selection.

“My thinking right now and thinking about it in the locker room, I’m done playing with the national team,” Messi said to a group of reporters. “I tried my hardest. It’s been four finals, and I was not able to win. I tried everything possible. It hurts me more than anyone, but it is evident that this is not for me. I want more than anyone to win a title with the national team, but unfortunately, it did not happen.”

With that, the sky began to fall. The pressure was on Messi to perform long before he took to the field on Sunday night. The 29-year-old had lost back to back tournament finals with his country, as well as the 2007 Copa America final. The hope was that 4th time would finally break his international duck, with Argentine sports newspaper Ole running the headline, “Today we can’t lose.”

Their front page for Monday was equally as simple: “Don’t go.”

For all the talk of Messi going, the actually likelihood that he leaves the national team for good feels slim. Clearly emotional, his declaration felt more like an act of rebellion rather than a heartfelt goodbye to his country. Messi does not enjoy the greatest relationship with the Argentine FA, and recently described the AFA as a ‘disaster’ after the team’s flight was delayed in Houston, Texas.

The 29-year-old would later admit to regretting his comments. “I made an error in the moment, with the final so close. We should be thinking about that,“ Messi told reporters. “Certain things have been going on for a while and we never say anything.”

A federation that is in disarray, Messi’s vocal moment of frustration will likely only draw him further critics. The Barcelona man has never been unanimously appreciated or accepted by those back home, despite this month surpassing Gabriel Batistuta as his country’s all time leading goalscorer. At one stage in his international career he was even pitted against Carlos Tevez.

Their rivalry came to a head at the 2011 Copa America. After draws against Bolivia and Colombia, Tevez was the player dropped for the final group game against Costa Rica. A 3-0 victory was only enough for second place in Group A, with Uruguay their opponent in the quarterfinal.

On the bench again, Tevez’s overwhelming popularity was most evident when the stadium announcer introduced him as ‘the people’s player’ and it received the loudest cheer of the night. Yet even vocal support could not stop the former Manchester City man missing the decisive penalty and costing Argentina the game. Bizarrely though, it was Messi that took the blame. The fog of popularity had clouded judgement, and it was up to Messi to be the scapegoat.

At the 2014 World Cup things changed somewhat. His performances, particularly against a defensively minded Iran, proved he was the team’s attacking fulcrum. When all other roads to victory seemed blocked, Messi could do something inspirational. That appreciation quickly turned to expectation though.

Such pressure, often needless, makes things difficult for the Barcelona man. The fact he missed a penalty on Sunday will make headlines, but it does not absolve the other culprits for this failure. Lucas Biglia also missed from the spot, while Gonzalo Higuain had arguably Argentina’s best chance of the game. The Napoli forward fluffed a simple one on one chance, and yet will likely draw as much ire as Messi.

Consequently, the culmination of events and emotions makes Messi’s decision a little bit more understandable. An international trophy is arguably the one piece missing from the jigsaw that is his career. Proving elusive, his fourth final appearance with Argentina resembled the ones of 2015 and 2014 in the Copa America and World Cup respectively.

Meek in performance, Argentina did not approach the game with the gusto or vigour of previous rounds. Even when Messi managed to get his foot on the ball, the brilliance was flickering. It was not at the exceptionally high standard we have become accustom to, and that will likely frustrate the forward as much as it does those back home.

Certainly, the presence of Diego Maradona will not help proceedings either. It was 30 years since Maradona lifted his side to the 1986 World Cup, with the former Napoli man seen as the king that Messi must try and dethrone. Maradona does little to fan the flames of discussion or controversy, however. As recently as this month he criticised Messi’s leadership style. "He’s a great person, but he has no personality,” Maradona said at an event in early June. “He doesn’t have the personality to be a leader.”

In a statement that now seems prophetic, Luis Segura, the former president of the AFA, said last year, "I don’t understand why people want to argue over Messi’s presence. That is an absolute injustice. I hope he never gets tired of the criticism. It would be a shame if Messi left the national team. I am sure that Messi is hurting over not winning that title just as much as any fan. I can accept that some compare Messi to other players, that is a matter of taste, but no one can argue that he hasn’t given his all.”

Given too much expectation, and not enough credit, Messi’s decision becomes more understandable when you see his tears on Sunday and trace the dots of his international career backwards. A move that will likely be reversed in time, the forward needs space from the situation. Only then will he realise whether it is right to call time on his international career, or keep trying to leave a winning legacy.

Follow Kristan Heneage @Kheneage