Lionel Messi’s latest bid to lead Argentina to a major international title started badly at the weekend, as they lost 2-0 to Colombia in their opening match of the 2019 Copa America.
Messi’s career at club level with Barcelona is certainly something to behold, as he has won 33 major honours, including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues, while his individual accolades are arguably even more impressive.
However, the 31-year-old, who made his international debut for Argentina back in 2005 and has featured a total of 131 times for La Albiceleste, has never tasted success with his country – excluding being part of the under-23s squad that won Olympic gold in Beijing back in 2008.
Indeed, there have been four World Cups and five Copa Americas (including the current edition) since Messi made his international debut and Argentina have come so close yet so far on a number of occasions.
La Albiceleste have actually reached the final of the Copa America three times since 2007, while they were inspired to the World Cup final by Messi in 2014, only for a Mario Gotze extra-time goal to cost them against Germany.
The questions are now starting to be asked as to whether Messi, unlike his rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who won Euro 2016 and this year’s UEFA Nations League with Portugal, will ever taste success on the international stage.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner certainly isn’t getting any younger and time may, at some stage, run out.
That being said, Argentina still have a chance of winning this year’s Copa America and, who knows, the defeat to Colombia could actually act as the reality check they need.
Lionel Scaloni’s side have group matches to come against Paraguay and Qatar so they should still make it through to the quarter-finals and from there anything can happen – who knows we all may be watching Messi lift his major piece of international silverware in just a couple of weeks’ time.
