Messi takes a break from carrying Argentina

The cross that Messi bears with his national team is something only he knows. The best footballer in the world has never enjoyed playing with Argentina. He's only suffered. He's suffered from his teammates lack of understanding, for the Argentinian FA's errors and for the poor quality of his teammates. And, more than anything else, he's suffered because he didn't make Argentina World Champions. Messi has played in four World Cups and he hasn't been able to lift the trophy, although he was close to doing that four years ago when they lost in the final to Germany.

Although he doesn't recognise it himself, Messi has taken on his country's failures as his own. And this stops him from being happy, on a football level. He's won everything, absolutely everything (33 trophies) with Barça but the disappointment with Argentina is so big that it still hurts. For this reason he's decided to leave the national team - for the moment, at least. He needs to breathe, to reflect on things. He needs to decide whether the suffering is worth it for a shirt that isn't Barcelona's.

Messi has decided a break is best for all sides and won't play for Argentina again this year. He did the same two years ago when they lost in the Copa America. At the time it felt this it was a definitive goodbye. "My run with the national team is over," is what Messi said after missing a penalty in the shootout with Chile. Yet later on he changed his mind and decided to fight to win the World Cup with Argentina in Russia. But he lost again and that sadness brought him down. Maybe, forever.