Argentine captain, Lionel Messi has hinted that he’ll seriously consider retiring from international football if the Albiceleste fail to put up a good showing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The 30-year-old Barcelona ace had earlier retired from international football after his team lost the Copa America title to Chile in 2016, and for the second time.
He bowed to pressure from different fronts including an appeal by the country’s President and returned to the team two months later.
Messi showed the stuff he’s made of when he secured World Cup qualification for the South American giants via a hattrick in the last game against Bolivia.
Argentina are grouped alongside Nigeria, Croatia and Iceland in the World Cup.
In a recent interview with a TV channel, TyC, he said: “If we do badly at the World Cup, we all have to disappear from the national team.
“It’ll be difficult for some to stay on.”
At personal level, the five-time Ballon D’Or winner yesterday lost the 2017 award to career rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.