Messi explains how he rejected Spain to play for Argentina

Legendary Argentine footballer Lionel Messi recently discussed his eligibility to represent the Spanish national team and the RFEF’s keenness to recruit him before he opted to play for his country of birth.

The 38-year-old was born in Argentina but moved to Spain as a 13-year-old in 2000 to join Barcelona’s La Masia academy. Hence, when he came of age, he was eligible to represent La Roja’s youth teams and was approached by the federation.

In a recent podcast appearance on the 'Miro de Atrás' podcast with former Argentina team-mate Nahuel Guzmán, Messi discussed the RFEF’s interest in him and how he opted for La Albiceleste.

"Well, there was a moment where it came up. I was already playing for Barça, and they kind of hinted at it; they suggested it... which is normal, right? It happens with many kids,” he said, per Albicelete Talk. 

“At that time, even though I’m Argentinian, I had moved to Barcelona very young and had done most of my training in their youth system, so the possibility was there. It could have happened. But no, well... I always... My heart was always with Argentina."

Lionel Messi has achieved historic success across all levels of international football for Argentina. At the youth level, he captured the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and won an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.

For the senior national team, Messi captained La Albiceleste to a period of unprecedented dominance after underperforming for his first 16 years playing for his country.

He won the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, and the pinnacle 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He recently added the 2024 Copa América title to his ledger, cementing his legacy as Argentina's all-time leader in both goals and appearances