Lionel Messi has hit out at critics by saying he does want success with Argentina and that he values his Olympic gold medal more than his trophies with Barcelona.
The 29-year-old has enjoyed a glittering domestic career at Camp Nou, but has failed to replicate that success with the national team.
Messi has often been the subject of criticism for the Albiceleste's failures, and he came in for more scrutiny after receiving a four-match ban for verbally abusing an assistant referee during the World Cup qualifying win over Chile last month.
"The criticism I receive is not something I care about because I know about the things that happened," he told Esquire. "I understand the people who always want us to win and demand that we deliver a trophy.
"But those of us who play for the national team want to win a title too. The Olympic gold in 2008 is the win that I value the most because it is a tournament that you may only play in once in your life and involves many athletes from different disciplines."
Messi has 117 caps for Argentina and is their all-time record goalscorer with 58 strikes.
Giuseppe Labellarte
