Messi returns to stadium of his Argentina national team retirement

Ten years ago, in the aftermath of a painful Copa América Centenario final loss to Chile, Lionel Messi declared his international career over. Overwhelmed by relentless criticism in his home country, he famously stated, "That's it. It's over for me with the national team."

Now, Messi stands on the cusp of a potential second World Cup title, returning to the very same MetLife Stadium where he made that emotional decision to step away from the Albiceleste. The memory of those consecutive final defeats – the Copa Américas in 2007, 2015, and 2016, along with the 2014 World Cup final – clearly weighed heavily on him.

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That's it. It's over for me with the national team.

In 2016, Messi felt immense personal responsibility, particularly for missing a crucial penalty in the shootout against Chile. "It's a great sadness that this has happened to us again, and on top of that, I missed the penalty," he admitted at the time. "It was the first one, and it was very important to get the lead, and well, I missed it."

However, a decade has passed, allowing Messi to not only overcome that difficult period but to solidify his legacy as arguably the greatest player of all time. Weeks after his initial retirement announcement, a meeting with new coach Edgardo Bauza convinced him to return. On September 1, 2016, he donned Argentina's No. 10 jersey once more, scoring the winning goal against Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier, signaling a new chapter for both himself and the national team.

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It's a great sadness that this has happened to us again, and on top of that, I missed the penalty. It was the first one, and it was very important to get the lead, and well, I missed it.