Some fans want Messi to reconsider; others simply sad

His shot was so bad in fact, it led him to declare his retirement from global football.

EAST RUTHERFORD -Lionel Messi sensationally announced his retirement from global football here Sunday after Argentina crashed to an upset defeat against Chile in the final of the Copa America.

Playing two days after his 29th birthday, Messi lost a final for the third year in a row and the fourth time overall with Argentina.

Messi, who scored five goals in the tournament, sent a free kick that Sergio Aguero almost headed in 10 minutes into extra time, only to have Bravo jump and extend his right hand to tip the ball over the crossbar.

Argentina’s next major competition would be the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation. “First of all for me, and then for everyone”, Messi told the Argentine network TyC Sports not along after missing a penalty kick in the shootout. The choice for me is over, it is a decision. “It pains me more than anyone not being able to be a champion with Argentina, but that’s the way it is”.

That astounding free kick against US just a few days ago, which discarded Newtonian physics as if under his duress a ball must ollow the rules of quantum mechanics, was just one more empirical evidence of where Messi, at 29 years 2 days on Sunday night in New Jersey, stands as one of football’s greatest in the here and the now. “This is the worst that I’ve seen him in the changing room”. Rumors have suggested that stars Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano, and Lucas Biglia are also set to announce their retirement, while Ever Banega, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Angel Di Maria, and Gonzalo Higuain will consider the same thing.

“We are so happy at all this passion that our Chilean team has given us recently”, said one reveler in Santiago, Edison Tapia.

Griezmann and Messi have been rivals at club level in recent seasons, and the Frenchman was only four goals behind the Barcelona star in La Liga’s goal table with his 22 strikes for Atletico Madrid last season.

“I think this is best for everyone”. You have to enjoy, value and understand this.

He said after the defeat: “For me, the national team is over”.

They have now not earned a major global honour in 23 years and have lost their last three tournament finals after they were also on the losing side in the showpiece match at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. “Unfortunately I tried and this was want I wanted most”.

Maradona, who had so much natural skill that he would often juggle the ball during the team’s warm-up with his bootlaces still undone, was always going to be a hard act to follow in an Argentina shirt.

Argentina and Chile played out to a 0-0 draw in regulation and extra time, forcing the match to go to penalties.

“There are several players who are evaluating not continuing with the national team”, the Manchester City striker told South American media.

He has helped the Catalan giants claim 28 titles during his time at the Nou Camp, including the Champions League four times, Spain’s Primera Division on eight occasions, four Copa del Rey crowns and three FIFA Club World Cup titles.