MOSCOW -- Every time Lionel Messi transitions from his club responsibilities with Barcelona to those of the Argentina national team, he seems to move to an alternate dimension.
With Barcelona, there is at least predictability. The Blaugrana field a ridiculously talented team every year, challenge for trophies, win a few of them, and Messi will bag his usual haul of 40-50 goals per season.
When it comes time to represent Argentina, Messi moves from the relative calm to the chaotic. There has been organizational disorder at the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) level since longtime president Julio Grondona passed away in 2014, culminating in last week's politically charged decision to cancel a friendly with Israel.