The government announced £649m in spending cuts, hollowing out the welfare state that perhaps could have helped the Messis get their son the care he needed. This was a time of financial crisis in Argentina.

Newell’s prioritised the development of Billy Rodas instead, a decision briefly vindicated when, at 16, he became the youngest ever player to score on their debut for the club and won the Under-17 Sudamericano with Argentina. The 300 pesos he got from the club was never enough and pride stopped him from going back and asking for more. If Argentina wins he will seem more patriotic to us.” For what, though, did Messi need atonement? For leaving Argentina as a boy? Messi’s father, Jorge, claimed his son “would have stayed at Newell’s (Old Boys)” in the family’s hometown of Rosario “if they had paid” for his hormone deficiency treatment. Jorge Valdano, a World Cup winner turned columnist, opined during the 2016 Copa America: “Messi does not play (for Argentina) to achieve glory but to be forgiven. But Messi’s relationship with Argentina was complicated. Without Messi, not only did the team have even less chance of success, commercial and sponsorship revenue would have also been catastrophically hit. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) breathed a sigh of relief. By the time the Argentina squad next got together, two months later, he was back, his short-lived retirement over. It was mentioned more than 10m times in the space of 24 hours. It was coached by one Argentine after another Marcelo Bielsa, Jorge Sampaoli and Juan Antonio Pizzi. A cruel irony was to be found in the Chile team that kept getting the better of them in the Copa America. Success with his country continued to elude him and Argentines became more and more convinced a maleficio loomed over the national team, a hex not even someone of Messi’s powers could lift. He was at his peak and had already won five of his seven Ballons d’Or. The three-peat of disappointment cut Messi to his core. This was the fourth final Messi had lost with Argentina the third in three years after the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America.

When Lucas Biglia’s attempt was saved by Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, he ran his hand through his hair in disbelief and sat in the dug-out, a maelstrom of emotions hidden behind a blank stare. After skying his spot kick high and wide, he pulled at his jersey and grimaced. In the shootout to decide the centenary edition of the Copa America, Messi missed Argentina’s first penalty.

I tried many times (to be champion) but it didn’t happen.”

“It’s the best thing for everyone, for me, for the people who want it. He didn’t plan on playing for Argentina again.

Shadow of a doubt lyrics meaning