Messi ends international retirement, called up to Argentina's squad

Lionel Messi isn't retiring from international football.

On Friday, after manager Edgardo Bauza had "a little talk about football" with Messi in Spain, the Asociacion del Futbol Argentino published a statement, declaring that the 29-year-old will continue to take the pitch for Argentina and triggering a collective sigh of relief from every human being in the South American country.

"I see that there are many problems with Argentinian football and I don't intend on creating another one," Messi said in the statement. "I don't want to cause any damage, I always intended on doing the opposite, helping with everything I could."

Messi added: "Many things of our Argentinian football have to be fixed, but I prefer to do it from within rather than criticising from outside." The planet's top footballer also said: "Many things went through my head the day of the last final and I seriously thought about leaving, but I love my country and this shirt too much."

After Argentina fell to Chile on penalty kicks in the final of the Copa America Centenario, Messi, who sent his penalty into orbit, suggested that he may have represented La Albiceleste for the last time. The defeat marked the third time in three years that the national team lost a final, and the loss appeared to be too much to handle for the Argentinian phenom, whose emotional trauma was anything but hidden.

Of course, Argentina suffered a 1-0 defeat to Germany in extra time at the 2014 World Cup, and also lost to Chile on penalties in the final of last year's Copa America.

Following confirmation of Messi's continuation, Bauza, hired as Argentina's manager at a time when the AFA is in disarray and run by a FIFA-appointed normalisation committee, announced La Albiceleste's squad for its upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers at home to Uruguay and away to Venezuela on Sept. 1 and Sept. 6, respectively.

Sure enough, Messi was among the 27 names in Argentina's squad.

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Mariano Andujar (Estudiantes), Nahuel Guzman (Tigres UANL)

Defenders: Facundo Roncaglia (Celta Vigo), Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal), Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton), Emmanuel Mas (San Lorenzo), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Martin Demichelis (Espanyol), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Matias Kranevitter (Sevilla), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Augusto Fernandez (Atletico Madrid), Ever Banega (Internazionale), Javier Pastore (Paris Saint-Germain), Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Gaitan (Atletico Madrid), Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Lucas Pratto (Atletico Mineiro), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Lucas Alario (River Plate)