Messi's love affair with the national team is over. When Alex Sabella took over as the national team manager in 2011, he tried to recreate that sense of family. The best way of understanding Messi's career and his relationships is through the concept of family. But what is certainly true is that the question of Messi's Argentinian identity has never quite been clear-cut, ever since he left the country at the age of 13 to come to Spain. Argentina has always needed Messi, and Messi has always needed Argentina.

Source: The Telegraph June 27, 2016 22:07 UTC