Former Spain head coach Vicente del Bosque says it would have been "a dream" to have Lionel Messi in his squad at international level.
Barcelona star Messi, who joined the club's academy in 2001, was eligible to play for Spain and Argentina but opted to represent the country of his birth.
His international career has been a relative disappointment compared to his club achievements, with Argentina having lost three Copa America finals and the World Cup final of 2014 with Messi in the side.
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The 31-year-old has enjoyed astounding success with Barca, though, and his latest spectacular performance on Wednesday saw him reach 600 club goals with a double against Liverpool to inspire a 3-0 triumph in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.