Lionel Messi has ruled out participating in the Olympics with Argentina this summer. He claims that playing in Paris after representing his nation at the Copa América would be “too much.”
Messi, 36, is currently in the United States with Argentina as they prepare to defend their Copa América title. The opening match between Argentina and Canada will be on June 20, with the championship game on July 14.
The men’s Olympic competition runs from July 24 to August 9. Even though the event is mostly for men under the age of 23, each team can have three overage players, which raises the possibility that Messi will play.
The Inter Miami star, on the other hand, stated in an interview that he had informed Argentina U23 coach Javier Mascherano that this would not be possible.
“I talked to Mascherano and the truth is we both understood the situation,” he said. “It’s hard [to think about the Olympics right now] because we’re in Copa América. 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.
“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.”
Messi could miss at least five Inter Miami games while with Argentina at the Copa América and would miss several more, including the Leagues Cup that Miami won last year, if he headed to the Olympics.
Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who is set to be without multiple other players due to this summer’s tournaments, has previously said that players must choose between playing either the Copa América or the Olympics.
“I am pro national team, but in this case that there are two competitions [Copa América and Olympics] close together and that implies that a player is away for more than two months,” Martino, a former Argentina head coach, said in February.
This season, Messi has been crucial to Miami’s success, netting 11 goals and 12 assists in 12 games to lead the Supporters’ Shield standings.
Messi has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times. He and Mascherano won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 with Argentina. Since then, he has won the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022.
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