Argentine star Lionel Messi spoke about one of the toughest moments in his career when he decided to retire from international football in 2016, before later reversing his decision and returning to represent his country.

Messi said: "At one point, I felt that I could no longer continue, and I said that I would not return to the national team. Later, I regretted it a lot because I was watching the matches as if I was dying inside, but thank God I was able to reverse the decision."

The captain of the Argentine national team added: "Unintentionally, this became the best example of never giving up and continuing to try. Life, in the end, is about falling, then getting up, and trying again."

The reason behind Messi's retirement at that time was the intense psychological pressure he experienced after losing the 2016 Copa America final against Chile, along with the harsh criticism he faced, which pushed him to make an emotional decision to step away from the national team before reconsidering and deciding to return later.