Pele urges Messi to reconsider leaving Argentine national team

Brazilian football legend Pele on Friday urged Lionel Messi to reconsider his decision to leave the Argentine team after losing the Centennial Cup America 2016 final against Chile.

Pele, only player to win three football World Cups, told Sky Sports that Messi had been, without a doubt, "the world's best player for the past 10 years", reports Efe.

"What happened to him is something that only happens in soccer. Only the person who shoots a penalty can miss it," Pele added.

"It's normal that he is sad and disappointed, but he has to wait a bit and forget this incident, since it is something that many good players have gone through. Everyone has missed a penalty at some point," said the former star called 'O Rei' by fans in Brazil.

Messi, the 29-year-old forward of FC Barcelona and the Argentina squad, announced on June 26 his retirement from the national team after missing a crucial penalty in the shoot-out during the Centennial America Cup final against Chile, his third consecutive loss in an international final.

--IANS

pur/dg