Messi’s Copa America was as inconsistent as his country’s performances and it ended with an inexplicable red card in the third-place match against Chile, which came before Messi had heavily criticized the refereeing and also caused Leo to absolutely bombard CONMEBOL with accusations of corruption and match fixing. He might get banned for those comments, but finishing third and not playing for Argentina over the next few months may have been the best thing that ever happen to Messi in his country.
Even though most Barça fans don’t care about the Albiceleste and hope that Messi retires for real so he can rest during international breaks during the final years of his prime, Leo really cares about winning with his country and it feels like there’s never been a stronger connection between him and the people of his nation.