Messi hangs up international boots @ 29

Guess he's had enough of losing finals, I know I'd be if every damned time I got to a final only to lose it.

Feel sorry for the guy, does his best for his country but somehow his teammates **** it up for him everytime.

Hopefully he will have a change of heart and carry on playing int football, he's still got a tournament or 2 left in him.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if he reconsidered. It isn't the type of decision you make in a post-match interview after missing a penalty and losing a major final.
 
Yeah I guess it's in the heat of the moment. However international friendly and qualifications games must be a long old haul when you live in Europe.
 
Fulax said:
I wouldn't be surprised if he reconsidered. It isn't the type of decision you make in a post-match interview after missing a penalty and losing a major final.
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Actually I would think he has been thinking about it a while - I would be surprised if he said something like that off the cuff. Probably been in the back of his mind a while, and they were probably a good bet to get to the final before it even began.

Dont blame him in the slightest, he has carried that team for a good long while and surely any amount of additional games on top of the 50 or so Barca play already increase % of him getting a bad injury , his age only increases that as well (dont get me wrong, he has a few really good years left) - not to mention the long distance travel on top of that.
 
He takes the flak for the losses, and for Argentina, thats all anyone focuses on. I don't blame him. I suspect that he was going to retire either way to focus on Barca.
 
He probably would have also retired if they won it, so it's not really a big deal imo. He is at the latter third of his playing career and being able to focus on club only will help him.
 
G-MAN2004 said:
What more has he got to achieve there? It's about time he left and dominated another league.
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Can you really picture Messi or even Ronaldo for that matter scoring 50+ goals a season in the Premier League. This domintaion you speak of is against poor opposition. I don't doubt his class, ability and without doubt the best player in the world. But this "dominance" is due to playing in a poor league.

I also disagree with people quitting on their country. They should always make themselves available for selection. Its only when you no longer get picked do you consider your International career over. There should be no prouder moment win or lose than playing for your country. Unless perhaps that country is Argentina??
 
The article did suggest he's already had public disagreements with the Argentinian FA in terms of the organisation of travel and accommodation to these events. It would suggest he's maybe thought about this for a while and not just based it on the penalty miss. Next tournament finals he'd be the 'wrong' side of 30 so guess he's wanting to make room for his replacement and keep the continuity in the team rather than a toys out the pram moment of 'I'm not playing anymore!'
 
Swagger187 said:
Can you really picture Messi or even Ronaldo for that matter scoring 50+ goals a season in the Premier League. This domintaion you speak of is against poor opposition. I don't doubt his class, ability and without doubt the best player in the world. But this "dominance" is due to playing in a poor league.
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Ronaldo hit 42 goals in the season before he left Man United and improved considerably in the years after.

As for poorer opposition, Spain had 4 teams in the last 16 of the Europa League, 3 teams in the quarter finals, two in the semi finals and Sevilla won the competition.

They also had 3 teams in the last 16 of the Champions League, 3 in the quarter finals, 2 in the semis and the two finalists.

7 teams out of a league of 20 reaching the knockout stages of European competitions tells me they have a very strong league compared to the rest.
 
Swagger187 said:
Can you really picture Messi or even Ronaldo for that matter scoring 50+ goals a season in the Premier League.
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Surely all comps not just La Liga? (edit a mere 41 goals and 23 assists in all comps last season according to wiki)

But for any top EPL team with Messi in (no dis-respect meant, but for example Everton with Messi probably not), I can imagine him scoring 50 goals a season.

Maybe the percentage of penalties /freekicks (and maybe even hatricks etc as well) would go up because English defenders maybe wouldnt cope with his speed of footwork as well as the generally more skillful spanish players etc etc, but yes I can see that quite possibly.

He would never go, and I doubt Juve could afford him (let alone any of the others) but the most interesting would be to see him in Italy against a very defensive league (or whats always claimed as more based on defence)
 
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Swagger187 said:
Can you really picture Messi or even Ronaldo for that matter scoring 50+ goals a season in the Premier League. This domintaion you speak of is against poor opposition. I don't doubt his class, ability and without doubt the best player in the world. But this "dominance" is due to playing in a poor league.

I also disagree with people quitting on their country. They should always make themselves available for selection. Its only when you no longer get picked do you consider your International career over. There should be no prouder moment win or lose than playing for your country. Unless perhaps that country is Argentina??
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Nobody has ever scored 50+ goals in La Liga.
 
Hell of a rage quit from Messi. 4 final losses in a row isn't it? Don't blame him but as Fulax said cooler heads will most likely prevail what with a Confederations Cup in 2017, World Cup in 2018 and another Copa America in 2019.

Higuain's 1v1 bottle was tough to watch.
 
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