Lionel Messi announced he would retire from international soccer after losing in the 2016 Copa América Centenario. This weekend, he reversed his decision.
After Argentina lost in the 2016 Copa América Centenario, star Lionel Messi said he would be retiring from international soccer. Coming off a heartbreaking loss to Chile in the final of the Copa, Messi let his emotions get the best of him, stating he was done playing for his country.
For Messi, the loss was his fourth in a major tournament, and his third in as many years. He told reporters he just felt there were too many missed chances, and that it was time to step away. At only 29-years old, it came as a shock.
During the Copa América Centenario, Messi became the all-time leading scorer in Argentina’s history.
According to SI.com, who got a report from Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper, Messi will be returning to play for La Albiceleste in November.
The next big event for Messi will be the 2018 World Cup, which will be hosted by Russia. Messi is arguably the best soccer player in the world, so having him on their roster will give Argentina a definite shot to finally win a big one.
It has been a crazy couple of weeks for Messi, who aside from flip-flopping on his decision to play again for Argentina, was sentenced to 21 months in jail for his involvement in a tax fraud case. Messi denied having any knowledge of what was going on, but he was still convicted.
Due to Spanish law, Messi will not serve time, as he is a first-time offender and it is a non-violent crime. Instead, he will be forced to pay a fine and be on probation.
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