The Argentina captain has cemented his unrivaled reputation in world football with his outstanding performance in Qatar. Lionel Messi's thoughts race as he sits in the MetLife Stadium on the evening of June 26, 2016. He had just missed the opening penalty in Argentina's shootout defeat to Chile in the Copa America final. It was Messi's third straight loss in a major international tournament contest, and his fourth overall. He felt like a failure, as if he hoped to disappoint Argentina. Sergio Aguero has never seen a close friend so down. Messi knows how his failings will be portrayed by the public: as proof that he couldn't bring the best for Argentina, that he could never mark [Diego] Maradona, that he played better for Barcelona, and even worse, he considered to prioritize the club rather than his own country. So, in a moment of emotions running high, while being overcome by "another great grief", Messi made the difficult decision to retire from international duty. "I tried so hard to become champion with Argentina, but it hasn't happened yet," he told reporters. "I can not do it." "I think it's best for me to retire, for the good of everyone, for me and for the many people who want it." However, none of the Argentinians really wanted him to retire. Even the coach of the Chilean champions, Argentina's Juan Antonio Pizzi, was taken aback by Messi's sudden announcement. "Messi's stats are unmatched and I think it will stay that way forever, because it is impossible for a football player to do what Messi has done," he said. "My generation cannot compare with [Diego] Maradona because of what Maradona during our generation did for Argentine football."
