Juan Pablo Sorin, the captain of Argentina's 2006 World Cup squad, said during a sports show on Monday (27th June) that he believes Lionel Messi's decision to retire from international football was "already thought through" before Argentina had lost the Copa America final to Chile.

"On Sunday, when he said that with a lot of pain - I like to use the word scar - these are scars that will stay forever. Maybe, this time, his decision was already more thought through than the previous ones like, for example, last year, when (Javier) Mascherano said too (that both would retire from international football) then they backtracked.

(Analyst: So you don't think this was an impulsive decision…)

No, I don't think so. I think he had already decided to leave the national team. Which is sad not only for what it means for football - not only for Argentina - not having the number 10, the best player in the world, wearing the Argentinian jersey in the next World Cup, it's a disaster for World Football, that's what I think."