Welcome back, Messi-ah! Lionel Messi returns to international football

After having announced his retirement after missing his penalty in the Copa America finals in June, Lionel Messi has announced his decision to return to the Argentina national team.

In a statement on 12 August, Messi said: "I see that there are a lot of problems in Argentina football and I don't want to create more".

"I don't want to cause harm, on the contrary, my goal was to help in any way I could. There are many things that need to be fixed in Argentine football. But I prefer to help from inside rather than stand on the outside and criticise," he said.

"A lot of things ran through my head on the day of the [Copa America] final. And I seriously considered leaving the team. But I love my shirt and my country too much. I want to thank all the fans who wanted me to keep playing for Argentina. I hope we can give them joy very soon."

According to report in ESPN, Messi changed his retirement plans after a talk with Edgardo Bauza - the new Albiceleste boss who took charge of the team after Gerardo Martino resigned. The captain confirmed that it was his love for football and Argentina which convinced him to take a U-turn and come back to represent his nation.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he wants to return to play for the national team. I saw him with a great desire to return," ESPN quoted Bauza as saying.

Messi, Argentina's all-time leading scorer with 55 goals in 113 appearances, hinted at federation problems. He alleged that the Argentina football's governing body was "a disaster" during the Copa America finals. Backing him, Argentina legend Diego Maradona claimed that Messi had been right to comment on the federation.