The star who refused to join Messi at the Olympics with Argentina

This Sunday the Argentina U-23 National Team got an important 1-0 victory against Brazil with a goal by Luciano Gondou and secured a place in the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. They had the pressure to win to reach the goal, as it was the last day of the South American pre-Olympic tournament in Venezuela and a draw or a loss meant absolute failure.

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The final whistle gave the world champions the qualification to the competition to be held between July 24 and August 11. There, Javier Mascherano's team will compete against other top teams such as the hosts, France (probably with Kylian Mbappé), and Spain. Each of those teams, in addition to the U-23 players, will be able to call up three older stars, provided that their respective clubs agree to loan them out.

That is why it was instantly rumored that Lionel Messi could be part of the team, with the aim of seeking his second gold medal after the success in Beijing 2008. Moreover, this could be the forward's last participation with the Argentine National Team in a major tournament, considering that he has not yet decided if he will play in the 2026 World Cup.

Leo has not communicated his decision regarding the Olympic Games, but he did give a hint about his interest in participating there this Sunday. After Argentina's victory against Brazil, he shared a story on his official Instagram account celebrating the qualification with a message that read "Vamoooosss" ("Let's gooo", in Spanish), along with several clapping emojis. However, another of Argentina's stars has a very different opinion.

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He doesn't want to go

A few days ago, during an interview with TyC Sports, Angel Di María was asked if he would be willing to participate in the Olympic Games alongside Lionel Messi, but his answer was blunt: "No, I made the decision to finish in the Copa América, I think it's the last thing". However, this Sunday, coach Javier Mascherano assured: "They (Messi and Di María) have earned the right to decide what they want but obviously we will try to invite them and we will see". So maybe there is a chance that the Benfica winger will change his mind.