Messi's Olympic Dreams on Hold

Javier Mascherano, the coach of Argentina's U23 team for the upcoming Paris Olympics, had hoped to include Lionel Messi as one of the three overage players in his squad. However, it has been decided that Messi will not be available for this selection.

Currently, Messi is preparing for the 2024 Copa America and has shared his reasons for not participating in the Olympics with ESPN Argentina. Messi explained that juggling both the Copa America and the Olympics would be too demanding at his age. "I talked to Mascherano and we both understood the situation. It’s hard to think about the Olympics because we're in Copa America. It would be two, three straight months away from the club, and at my age, I need to be selective. Playing in two consecutive tournaments would be too much," Messi said. He fondly recalled his previous Olympic experience, winning gold with Mascherano in 2008, and hoped the current team would enjoy it as much.

While Messi won’t be returning to the Olympics, he hasn’t ruled out extending his international career to the 2026

. Having achieved global glory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi remains dedicated to performing at the highest level and contributing to his team’s success, as he continues to add to his impressive tally of 181 caps and 106 goals for Argentina.

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