Lionel Messi, the celebrated eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient, has announced he will not be seeking a second Olympic gold medal with the Argentinian squad at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
In a conversation with ESPN, the Inter Miami striker shared, “I spoke with (Argentinian Olympic coach Javier) Mascherano, and we immediately agreed on the situation,”
Messi cited the proximity of the Copa America to the Olympics as a significant factor, stating, “It’s a difficult moment, because there’s the Copa America, and that would mean two or three consecutive months away from my club.
The illustrious ex-Barcelona player, who was integral to Argentina’s 2008 Olympic triumph, emphasized the importance of judicious decision-making at his stage in his career, “At my age, I don’t want to play everything and I need to make the right choices,”
As he approaches his 37th birthday on June 24, Messi is set to join the reigning Copa America champions, Argentina, for the tournament running from June 20 to July 14 in the United States, shortly before the Olympic Games commence on July 26.
However, Messi has left open the possibility of participating in an unprecedented sixth World Cup in 2026, hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
He expressed a balanced view on chasing records“It’s great to have records and continue to achieve things but I won’t take part in a World Cup just to say I’ve done six,”
He added, “If I feel good and everything is in place for me to be there, fine, but I won’t go just to go”.
With the event still two years away, Messi remains non-committal, “It’s very difficult to imagine what can happen because it’s still two years away. I don’t need to commit right now to whether or not I’ll be there.”
