No Messi in Paris Olympics 2024: "Would be too much," says Messi

Argentine legend Lionel Messi will not take part in the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner with Argentina feels it would be too much for him to be there at the Olympics.

Though Javier Mascherano, the head coach of the Argentine U-23 and Olympic team had hoped to have the services of Lionel Messi, the 36-year-old current Inter Miami player has ruled himself out of the grand tournament.

Lionel Messi will represent and lead the Argentine team at the Copa America 2024 between 20 June and 14 July. They will be coming to the tournament as the defending champions.

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Messi believes that the Olympics would be too much for him right after the Copa America. Playing at the Paris Olympics also would mean that he will have to be away from Inter Miami club and that has some other different factors as well.

"I have to choose carefully, and it would be too much to play two straight tournaments.

“I've been very lucky to play in the Olympics, of winning it together with Masche. It was a wonderful experience on a football level,” Messi told ESPN.

Messi won the 2008 Olympic Gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Football teams qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024: 

Group A: France, USA, Guinea, New Zealand 

Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Ukraine, Iraq 

Group C: Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic 

Group D: Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel

Schedule of Men's and Women's Football Matches in Paris Olympics 2024

Click here to download the full schedule of football in the Paris Olympics 2024.