The Barcelona star cannot be solely blamed for his nation's struggles in Russia, according to the Spain boss
Spain coach Fernando Hierro believes Argentina's struggles at the World Cup must be a "collective thing" and not just a drop in form from Lionel Messi.
With Jorge Sampaoli's men on the verge of a group-stage exit in Russia, Messi has been criticised, particularly in the wake of his team's 3-0 loss to Croatia.
A win over Nigeria in their final Group D game may be enough for Argentina to reach the last 16, although Messi is yet to score or provide an assist at this year's tournament.