‘I was embarrassed when I said I wanted to return to the national team’

The defeat to Chile was one of the hardest moments in Messi's career. AFP

The relationship between Lionel Messi and the Argentina National Team is complicated. The Barcelona star has always given his all for the ‘Albiceleste’, but following the defeat to Chile in the Copa America final in 2016, he decided to retire from international football. Now, a year and a half later, he has a new-found hunger for success.

“The decision to leave the national team was a decision I made in the heat of the moment, straight after one of the most complicated moments of my career,” Messi told ‘DIRECTV Sports’.

Despite the difficulties to announce his retirement from international duty, the 30-year-old has admitted it was even harder for him to confirm his return.

“I was embarrassed when I said I wanted to return, but ‘el Paton’ (Edgardo Bauza) and my teammates made everything very easy for me, they helped me a lot to make everything go back to the way it was,” he explained.

Messi also said that his perspective on playing with the ‘Albiceleste’ has changed a lot in the last year and a half: “Now I am more relaxed, when I receive criticism, I experience everything differently.

“With 30 years, I am experiencing football differently … and much more than before, I take advantage of every moment, on and off the the field of play. I am experiencing this new stage with the national team in a different way.”