Carlos Tevez Urges Lionel Messi Not to Retire from Argentina Duty

Carlos Tevez has called Lionel Messi the "soul of Argentina" and urged the Barcelona man not to retire from international duty. 

Messi called it a day once before in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa America final, but Tevez is adamant he must stay on in the wake of a poor 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign, per ESPN FC:

"I think Leo has to think about himself. He has to think that, if there is not a project that makes him happy and in which he feels comfortable, it is very difficult to take the responsibility of leading Argentina to become champions by himself.

"We are wasting a lot of time not having him happy and not being able to give him a hand to achieve that target. I think we are wrong in not being able to help him feel comfortable.

"As a player and as an Argentinian I tell him that we need him, that he try to rest, that he keep a cool head and that we need him. We need him because he is the soul of Argentina and, as long as he continues playing football, it has to be that way because he is Argentina's biggest idol and he has to take that responsibility.

"Now [I tell him] to rest, keep a cool head and try to be well, then we need him to take charge and on the pitch."

Argentina were knocked out of Russia 2018 in the last 16 by eventual winners France.

They only scraped through the group stage thanks to a late winner from Marcos Rojo against Nigeria and looked shambolic in a 3-0 defeat to Croatia and 1-1 draw with Iceland.

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Messi, 31, netted just once in the tournament and looked to be burdened with the pressure of carrying a team unable to live up to expectations.

Tevez, 34, has not played for Argentina since 2015 but regularly played alongside Messi in his 76 previous caps for his country.

It is understandable that he should be eager for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to remain available for selection for Argentina as Messi remains one of the best players in the world.

He has also still yet to win a senior international tournament with La Albiceleste despite reaching the 2014 FIFA World Cup final and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals.

There is another Copa America in Brazil next year, and Messi may be persuaded to take one more shot at winning a trophy with his country.