Rio: Lionel Messi Laments on Missing The Olympics

 

Rio: Lionel Messi Laments on Missing The Olympics

Barcelona star, Lionel Messi, will feature in the Copa America Centenario next month but miss out on the tournament in Rio as a result.

The Argentine captain Lionel Messi has admitted that he would have loved to play at the Olympic Games after he was left out of the squad in order to take part in the Copa America Centenario.

Coach Gerardo Martino opted against making Messi - who won gold at the Beijing Games in 2008 - compete at both June's Copa America and the Olympics in August.

Martino stressed that the Barcelona star agreed with the decision as the national team aim to make up for their disappointment in last year's disappointing Copa America final loss to Chile.

But Messi, who is on the verge of another La Liga title heading into the final round of the season, has made know he is disappointed not be involved in the campaign for Rio de Janeiro.

"I would have liked to go because it was a spectacular experience for me to play in the [2008] Olympics, just as it was for the [2005] Under-20 World Cup. Not just because we won but for the experience I gained" Messi told ESPN.