Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi could reject an offer to compete for Argentina at the Paris Olympics because of two major complications. He faces pressure from Apple and MLS to stay with his club, and he may also prefer to go to the Copa America over the Olympics, with both international tournaments scheduled for the summer.
Messi, 36, previously played at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing when a team boasting Angel Di Maria, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Sergio Aguero won gold. Javier Mascherano played on that team as an over-aged player to help the country win their second straight gold medal after also triumphing four years previous in Athens.
Juan Roman Riquelme captained that team in China as another of the three allowed senior players on the Under-23 team. Now, 14 years later, Mascherano is the Olympic head coach and is open to Messi taking on a similar role to Riquelme, extending a public request to the legendary figure.
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“I’ll talk to Leo. I’ve said that already; obviously, he has an open invitation, but it will depend on his commitments," the former Barcelona midfielder said. "He has Copa America and a bunch of other important things in between. We’ll talk.”
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Among those 'other important things' is the Leagues Cup, which Inter Miami enters as the reigning champion. The competition they won weeks after signing Messi last summer begins on the same day as the Olympic football tournament.
Albeit, the latter is much shorter, finishing on 10 August, whereas the Leagues Cup runs through to the 25th. In theory, Messi could play in the Olympics before returning for the Leagues Cup knockout rounds.
Messi and Mascherano (and Di Maria) played on the gold medal-winning Argentina team at Beijing 2008 (Getty Images)But that option appears unlikely. Adding to that feeling are the desires of Apple, which broadcasts the Leagues Cup tournament on its MLS Season Pass and reportedly has a profit-sharing agreement with Messi regarding revenue from new subscribers to the service.
The absence of Messi from Inter Miami matches this summer would undoubtedly impact potential revenue growth during the Leagues Cup. The Copa America also complicates matters, as that falls during MLS season, and Inter Miami will continue playing throughout the tournament.
Paraguayan signing Diego Gomez and Uruguay 's all-time top goalscorer Luis Suarez could also represent their country alongside Leonardo Campana of Ecuador. The former is also eligible to play at the Olympics, but the club's head coach, Tata Martino, has already made clear that it is one or the other.
“I have no problem with the players choosing, but they can only play in one,” he said earlier this month. “They can’t be gone for two months. No one would do that.”
But, as yet, Martino has not opined whether that rule extends to Messi. “Honestly, no, I haven’t talked about (the Olympics) with him,” Martino previously said. “But I’ve read the reports. I’ve learned over the years that I shouldn’t pay attention to everything that I read.”
Mascherano is the man mainly fueling those rumours. "We have a very strong relationship and I would absolutely love it (if he wanted to play)," he said as early as October before even qualifying for the Olympics.
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