“It’s spectacular to be fortunate enough to go through all that. I hope that the guys who get to go enjoy it in the same way that I did because it’s special. The Olympics are special, different from anything else.”
Messi could miss at least five Inter Miami games while with Argentina at the Copa América and would miss several more, including the Leagues Cup that Miami won last year, if he headed to the Olympics.
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Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who is set to be without multiple other players due to this summer’s tournaments, has previously said that players must choose between playing either the Copa América or the Olympics.
“I am pro national team, but in this case that there are two competitions [Copa América and Olympics] close together and that implies that a player is away for more than two months,” Martino, a former Argentina head coach, said in February.
Messi has been key to Miami’s results this season, contributing 11 goals and 12 assists in 12 matches to put the team top of the Supporters’ Shield standings.
A record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi won Olympic gold with Argentina alongside Mascherano in 2008 in Beijing and has since gone on to complete a full set of international titles with the Copa America in 2021 and World Cup in 2022.
Source link : https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40337165/lionel-messi-not-playing-2024-olympics-paris-argentina
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Publish date : 2024-06-12 18:35:00
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