LIONEL MESSI RULES OUT REPRESENTING ARGENTINA TEAM AT 2024 PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES – ‘IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH’

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi will not play for Argentina at the 2024 Olympics Games. Messi revealed it would be “too much” to try and feature for his nation at the Games, not long after playing at the Copa America and trying to juggle his club career with Inter Miami. Messi previously won gold with his country at the Beijing Games in 2008.

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Lionel Messi has said he won’t play for Argentina at this summer’s Olympic Games.

The 36-year-old is set to represent his country at the 2024 Copa America but said a second international tournament in the same summer would be “too much”.

World Cup holders Argentina are also reigning Copa America champions and will defend their title in the United States with the competition running from June 20 to July 14.

Should they reach the final, the showpiece match in Miami takes place just 10 days before the start of the men’s football tournament in Paris.

Although nominally an under-23 tournament, each Olympic football team is allowed to select a maximum of three overage players per squad, with Argentina under-23 coach Javier Mascherano admitting previously he had spoken to Messi about the possibility of including him.

However, Messi, who plays for Inter Miami, believes he would miss too many matches for the MLS club should he play in both tournaments.

Messi joined Miami in 2023 after leaving Paris Saint Germain, and has had to adjust to the MLS season.

The league, which runs during the summer months, would see Messi miss several matches for his club, something he admitted he is concerned about.

“I talked to Mascherano and the truth is we both understood the situation,” he told ESPN Argentina. “It’s hard because we’re in Copa America.

“It would be two, three straight months of not being with the club, and more than anything I’m not at an age to be in everything.”

Messi helped Argentina to 2022 World Cup success with Argentina a year on from winning the Copa America with his country.

The former Barcelona star also previously helped Argentina to Olympic football gold in Beijing in 2008 but admits his days of committing to playing in every available competition are now behind him.

He explained: “I have to choose carefully, and it would be too much to play two straight tournaments. I’ve been very lucky to play in the Olympics, of winning it together with Masche. It was a wonderful experience on a football level. Olympics, U20, memories I’ll never forget.

“It’s spectacular to be fortunate enough to go through all that. I hope that the guys who get to go enjoy it in the same way that I did because it’s special. The Olympics are special, different from anything else.”