Lionel Messi (R) and Nigeria’s goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama
(Image credit:Vanguardngr)
Lionel Messi
has been named in Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers squad, less than two months
after retiring from international football.
Messi, 29,
quit after Argentina’s Copa America final defeat by Chile in June. But in a
statement reported by media in Argentina, the Barcelona striker said he made
the U-turn for the “love of the country’’ and “to help from within’’.
Argentina
play qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezeula at the beginning of September.
Messi missed in the penalty kicks shootout defeat by Chile, as Argentina lost a
fourth major final in nine years.
“A lot of things went through my mind on the
night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting, but my love for my
country and this shirt is too great,’’ Argentina’s all-time record goalscorer
is reported as saying.
“We need to fix many things in Argentinian football, but
I prefer to do this from inside and not criticise from outside.’’
The News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN reports that Messi’s only major international honour is
Olympic gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing. As well as losing two Copa America
finals on penalties to Chile, he was in the Argentina side beaten 1-0 by
Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.
The forward, who has been awarded the Ballon d’Or for the world’s best player five times, was also on the losing side against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final. Messi is named in new coach Edgardo Bauza’s squad alongside Manchester City trio Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Nicolas Otamendi.
Also, Manchester United pair Sergio Romero and
Marcos Rojo and Ramiro Funes Mori of Everton are on the list. Tottenham’s Erik
Lamela made it seven Premier League players in total, with Messi’s Barcelona
team-mate Javier Mascherano also among the 27-man squad.
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