Argentina president urges Messi not to quit national team

President Mauricio Macri asked FC Barcelona (Spain) forward Lionel Messi not end his career in the national football squad of Argentina. 

After losing to Chile in a penalty shootout in the final of Copa América which the US hosted, the Argentine national squad captain announced that he will quit the team.

“Macri called Lionel [by phone] and said he is proud of his performances, and that he urges him not to pay attention to criticisms,” Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency quoted the representative of the press service of the President of Argentina.

Lionel Messi, 29, made his debut for Argentina in 2005, and he has 113 caps in the national team. In addition, he recently became his country’s leading scorer with 55, goals. The previous record belonged to Argentina football legend Gabriel Batistuta, who had a 54-goal tally.

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