Argentina’s tough team rule almost stopped Lionel Messi from playing
Argentina introduced a new rule this year that, if it had been in place earlier, would have stopped Lionel Messi from playing for the national team.
The current world champions beat Switzerland 3-1 in extra time and will face England in an exciting semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Argentina, led by their star captain Messi, is eager to win their fourth World Cup. Messi has scored eight goals in his record-breaking sixth World Cup. His first World Cup was 20 years ago, and he has now scored a record 21 goals in the tournament.
But strangely, Messi wouldn’t be allowed to play for Argentina if he came up through the system today.
This is because the Argentine Football Association (AFA) introduced a rule in February that stops players from joining the national team if they move abroad without signing a professional contract in Argentina first.
The rule was made to protect Argentine clubs. Young players can sign contracts at 16, and the AFA wants to prevent situations where parents use legal rights to move players abroad before deals are signed in Argentina.
AFA youth team director Javier Méndez Cartier said the rule is to defend clubs that develop players. He added that anyone who moves abroad using parental rights won’t be picked for youth national teams.
The decision was made unanimously by the AFA.
Many great Argentine players, like Messi, moved to Europe young after training in local clubs. Messi trained with Newell’s Old Boys but joined Barcelona’s academy at 13. Under the new rule, he wouldn’t be allowed to play for Argentina now.
Others affected include goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who left Independiente’s youth team to join Arsenal in 2010, and Giuliano Simeone, who moved from River Plate’s academy to Atletico Madrid. Both didn’t sign professional deals in Argentina.
According to TyC Sports, the new rule came after 16-year-old Lucas Scarlato moved from River Plate to Italian club Parma without a contract in Argentina, which was the final straw for the AFA.