Maradona urges Messi to shelve plans to quit Argentina


Argentina's coach Diego Maradona (R) hugs Lionel Messi after their 2010 World Cup Group B soccer match against South Korea at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg June 17, 2010. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - World Cup winner Diego Maradona has called on compatriot Lionel Messi not to abandon international football after the Argentina captain announced he was quitting the national side following Sunday's Copa America final defeat.

Maradona, captain of his country in the their second World Cup triumph in 1986, was among many leading personalities to speak out in support of Messi, who appeared badly affected by the penalty shootout loss to Chile in New Jersey.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Football

Soccer-Havertz coming good at perfect time for Arsenal
Soccer-Late Milik strike sends Juventus into Coppa Italia final
Soccer-Arsenal hammer Chelsea to move three points clear at the top
Soccer-Al-Ain seal Asian Champions League final berth despite Al-Hilal loss
Soccer-Canadian women to host Mexico twice before title defence at Paris Olympics
Soccer-US women's soccer team to play Olympic send-off match against Costa Rica
Soccer agent 'threatened' Chelsea director over Zouma fee, UK court hears
Soccer-Roma's Ndicka fit to resume sports activity after on-field collapse
Soccer-Title-chasing PSG ready for tough game at Lorient, says boss Enrique
Soccer-Villa extend Emery's contract until 2027 after steady improvement

Others Also Read