Lionel Messi has thrown his international future into doubt by asking not to be considered for selection for a series of upcoming Argentina friendlies.
The newly-installed Barcelona skipper has not completely ruled out playing for his country in the future but at this stage it looks as if he wants to concentrate on his La Liga career.
This year's World Cup proved a painful one for Argentina as they only just got out of the group stages by the skin of their teeth then lost to eventual Champions France 4-3 in the quarter-finals.
Messi's form was rarely out of the headlines during the competition and the tame nature of their exit from the competition led many to suggest he could walk away from international football despite only being 31-years-old.
According to TNT Sports, Messi said no to a call-up from Argentina's interim coach Lionel Scaloni for friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia next month. Argentina are also scheduled to meet Brazil in a friendly to be played in Saudi Arabia in October so he doesn't look like playing for Argentina again this year.
It is not the first time that Messi has taken an extended break from international duties. In 2016 he quit Argentina only to return in time for the 2018 World Cup campaign. Next year, Argentina will compete in the Copa America in Brazil but as yet Messi looks like being happy to sit it out.
Some reports in Argentina say Messi will delay making a definitive decision on his future until he sees who Argentina appoint as their next manager.
