Barcelona star Lionel Messi’s international retirement was all a ploy, claims Diego Maradona
Argentina legend casts doubts on five-time Ballon d'or winner's change of mind and believes it was a PR stunt
DIEGO MARADONA has controversially hinted that he believes Lionel Messi’s international retirement was a ploy to help the public forget Argentina’s failings.
The Barcelona star announced he would no longer be available for selection following La Albiceleste’s Copa America final defeat against Chile in June.
Messi quickly reversed his decision following a recent meeting with national boss Edgardo Bauza.
And that swift change of mind has cast doubts in the mind of the iconic Maradona, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986.
Maradona said: “I do not know if Messi’s retirement was a set-up to help us forget about the fact that we lost three finals in a row.
“The lad first said that he was going to give up and then took a step back and managed to change his mind in just a matter of weeks.”
Argentina begin their World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Uruguay on 2 September before travelling to Venezuela five days later.