How Messi's decade of dominance almost never happened

ByAndy Cryer

BBC Sport Senior Journalist

"I've fixed it my all, I person thing near to give."

Lionel Messi retired from planetary shot connected Monday arsenic Argentina's all-time starring scorer and most-capped player. He captained them to World Cup glory astatine Qatar 2022 and to Copa America triumphs successful 2021 and 2024.

But the satellite was astir denied his astir palmy play successful the celebrated bluish and achromatic shirt.

On Sunday, 26 June 2016, astatine MetLife Stadium successful New Jersey, Messi broke the hearts of a nation.

Just 2 days aft his 29th day and soon aft missing a punishment successful Argentina's Copa America last nonaccomplishment to Chile successful a shootout, Messi decided helium had seen enough.

After 113 appearances, helium was adamant. In his mind, helium would ne'er propulsion connected an Argentina garment again.

"For me, the nationalist squad is over. I've done each I can. It hurts not to beryllium a champion," helium said.

The symptom was understandable. Argentina had mislaid successful the 2014 World Cup final, positive Copa America finals successful 2007, 2015 and present 2016. The subordinate galore classed arsenic the world's top had failed erstwhile it mattered astir for him.

"It was the happening I wanted the most, but I couldn't get it, truthful I deliberation it's over," Messi said, warring backmost tears aft different trophy accidental slipped away. "I deliberation this is champion for everyone."

Fortunately for Argentina, Messi would person 2nd thoughts.

Over the consequent 10 years, helium completed 1 of football's top ever stories. But it was a decennary of dominance that astir ne'er happened.

Since that status U-turn, Messi has played a further 94 times and scored different 70 goals for Argentina. He has lifted 4 large trophies.

The six-week play betwixt his June 2016 status declaration and the 12 August announcement helium would play connected for the "love of the country" could beryllium considered the astir important successful Argentine shot past - adjacent successful satellite football.

As Messi departs the planetary stage, words of disapproval 10 years agone from the country's different legendary fig 10 look astir laughable.

"He's a truly bully person, but helium has nary personality," Diego Maradona said conscionable weeks earlier Messi's archetypal retirement. "He lacks the quality to beryllium a leader."

Back past it was the examination with Maradona that was held against him. Yet Messi had already won 8 La Liga titles and 4 Champions Leagues with Barcelona and was a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, and not yet 30.

Maradona's nine vocation hadn't travel close, but Messi's lone large planetary honour had been Olympic golden astatine the 2008 Games. Maradona had astir single-handedly won the 1986 World Cup for Argentina.

It's hard to ideate it now, with Messi shirts dominating the past 2 World Cups, the Argentina squad being built wholly astir him and the nation's fans worshipping him to an astir spiritual grade – but, backmost then, determination was a batch of criticism.

"He's not arsenic bully arsenic Diego", "he goes missing connected the large occasion", "he is portion of the country's failure". All accusations that were thrown successful his direction.

This wasn't the archetypal clip Messi had considered walking distant either.

Spanish shot adept – and Messi biographer – Guillem Balague said: "Leo goes truly down erstwhile helium loses. He felt the unit of being the skipper of Argentina and the Maradona thing.

"Pecho Frio, radical successful Argentina called him, which means acold chest. It was an insult to accidental helium had beverage successful his veins. So erstwhile helium failed successful 2016 astatine the Copa America, that was the 3rd clip – the archetypal clip successful nationalist – helium had decided to permission the nationalist side.

"The 2 erstwhile ones was a substance of letting him lick his wounds, but this 1 helium came retired and said I've had enough. He sometimes cannot assistance himself arsenic helium says what helium thinks."

The Maradona versus Messi statement is present surely over. Messi is Argentina's greatest, by astir judgements. There are galore who volition accidental helium is challenging Pele for the rubric of football's top ever.

Even radical who criticised Messi yet said sorry.

From the infinitesimal Messi discontinue his country, shockwaves reverberated astir Argentina.

Yes, helium had mislaid successful 4 successive finals. But helium was besides the country's grounds goalscorer and the world's champion player.

The 'Get Messi back' run started instantly arsenic team-mates called for him to alteration his caput conscionable minutes aft his announcement.

"I can't ideate a nationalist squad without Messi," said goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

The societal hashtag #NoTeVayasMessi (Don't spell Messi) was utilized much than 20,000 times wrong 24 hours.

By that time, Argentina's President Mauricio Macri had already spoken with Messi implicit the telephone to effort to person the Barcelona prima to reconsider.

"I told him not to wage immoderate attraction to the comments being made because, successful truth, we are precise happy" with the occupation helium has done," Macri told journalists astatine the time.

Less than a time later, the politician of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, had unveiled a statue successful Messi's honour and called connected the nationalist to amusement him their love.

"As a shot fan, Leo, I americium asking you to delight reconsider your decision," the politician said.

Thousands of fans gathered successful cardinal Buenos Aires, portion thoroughfare signs passim the superior displayed implored Messi to play connected for Argentina.

Maradona stated Messi had to enactment to instrumentality the squad to the 2018 World Cup.

Edgardo Bauza became Argentina manager successful August 2016, replacing Gerardo Martino aft the Copa America failure. He lasted conscionable 8 months – but possibly his archetypal fewer days were his astir important.

The archetypal happening helium did was question to Barcelona to transportation Messi to alteration his mind. The immense clamour for Messi to instrumentality proved irresistible.

"I emotion this state and this garment excessively much," Messi said arsenic helium returned to the planetary fold.

"I'm grateful to each the radical who wanted maine to proceed playing with Argentina. Hopefully we tin springiness them thing to cheer astir soon."

Still, occurrence didn't travel instantly. In 2018, Argentina fell to France successful the past 16 of the World Cup and galore wrote disconnected Messi's chances of ever lifting the trophy.

Quite incredibly, Messi did not triumph a elder planetary tourney until the property of 34 - and past helium went connected to triumph 4 successful hardly 3 years, including the 2022 Finalissima.

Questions astir his planetary aboriginal were raised aft each of those triumphs, but helium played connected to his sixth World Cup successful 2026 wherever helium scored 8 goals and registered 4 assists en way to Argentina's decision by Spain successful the final.

He was strolling done games, lacking the velocity of years gone by, but someway proving each spot arsenic effective.

The last took spot successful the aforesaid stadium wherever Messi 'retired' a decennary earlier.

"When Messi retired [10 years ago] it reminded america each however overmuch we loved him," said Argentina instrumentality Benjamin who was successful the Metlife for the 2016 showpiece final.

"When I heard him retire, I cried, the state cried. He did get disapproval but lone due to the fact that everyone cared truthful much. Without Lionel Messi, Argentina would inactive beryllium waiting for their adjacent World Cup since 1986."

Messi's footballing aboriginal became a substance of caller uncertainty aft the decease of his begetter Jorge conscionable 3 weeks aft this year's World Cup final.

This determination seems last and, astatine 39, different instrumentality to planetary shot looks unlikely.

But South American shot writer Tim Vickery said an authoritative farewell successful Argentina could beryllium connected the cards.

"Remember that, arsenic a effect of their behaviour astatine the World Cup, the adjacent crippled Argentina play connected location ungraded volition lone beryllium successful beforehand of a assemblage astatine 50% capacity," Vickery told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"But erstwhile those punishments are retired of the way, I'm definite it volition beryllium successful the caput of the Argentina FA: 'Why don't we clasp a crippled backmost successful Buenos Aires? River Plate, they person the biggest capableness successful South America. Why don't we bash an authoritative farewell there? What bash you deliberation astir it, Lionel? One past time?'."