Argentina's president, Mauricio Macri, has reportedly intervened to try and convince Lionel Messi to reconsider his international retirement.
The Barcelona star and Argentina skipper walked away from the international game after Sunday night's defeat to Chile in the Copa America final.
It was the third heartbreaking final defeat in three summers for Messi, who quit surprisingly in the wake of his own missed spot-kick which contributed to Argentina's penalty shootout defeat.
"That's it," he said.
"My time with the national team is over."
A crying Messi had been distraught after his penalty miss and roommate and close friend Sergio Aguero said the skipper was "the worst I've seen him."
But Messi's decision also has some political motives, with most of the Argentina players exasperated with their football association.
With Sergio Romero, their goalkeeper, suggesting Messi retired "in the heat of the moment," a social media campaign immediately started to convince the 29-year-old not to make a rash decision.
And Argentine television channel TyC has reported that the country's president, Mauricio Macri, has called the No.10 to ask him to reconsider.
A spokesman for Argentina’s president told AFP: "He [Macri] called him and told him how proud he feels of the national team's performance and asked him not to listen to the criticism.”
Marci also posted his support for Messi via his official Twitter page.
“I never feel greater pride in our team,” he said.
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