Not Qualifying For The World Cup Would’ve Been Crazy – Messi

Lionel Messi has said that it makes him pissed when people claim he calls the short for the Argentina national team.

“It makes me angry that people say so many things so easily,” Messi said about his thoughts on the suggestion he runs the Argentina team.

“People say a lot of things without knowing. So, on one hand, it makes me angry. But on the other hand, I am used to everything that they say.

“I am used to all the ridiculous things they say not just about me, but about this group [of players] from the last few years, so I can live with it.”

“It’s a lie that I put my friends and the coaches I want in the national team. I’m just one more player in the team,” the Barcelona forward said.

“To tell these great players — [Angel] Di Maria, [Sergio] Aguero, [Gonzalo] Higuain and [Javier] Mascherano, who are worldwide figures — that, ‘You play because you’re Messi’s friend,’ shows a lack of respect towards them and also towards me.

“It’s a lie. I never choose players for the team or take them out. That’s not who I am. I am here to add to the squad, nothing else.”

With Messi now 30 years old and a number of other players in Jorge Sampaoli’s squad also approaching the latter stages of their careers — including Di Maria, Mascherano and Higuain — it might prove the last chance for this group to win a World Cup.

Messi said he doesn’t think about how many years he has left.

“No, honestly, I hadn’t taken a decision [on my international future],” he said. “But I think it would have been yes, it would have been the end for this group [of players], because it would have been crazy not to qualify for the World Cup. Honestly, I can’t even imagine what would have happened, because it would have been terrible for everyone.

“[Last World Cup?] I don’t know. I try to not to look at the future and to just focus on the day-to-day and set objectives in the near future. I don’t know what’s going to happen after the World Cup. We’re just going to keep growing in the coming months, taking advantage of the little time we have [before Russia 2018]. After that, we will see.”