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Sergio Aguero has reflected on how his good friend Lionel Messi reacted after missing a penalty in the shootout in Argentina's Copa America 2016 final defeat.
In the special centenary edition of the South American tournament in New Jersey, Messi was a shootout win away from translating his club success to international football.
Instead, things couldn't have gone more wrong. In a repeat of the 2015 final - which Chile won on penalties - the two teams played out a goalless 120 minutes, which forced another shootout.
After Sergio Romero saved Arturo Vidal's effort, Messi stepped up to ram home his side's advantage but miscued his attempt horribly over the bar. A few spot-kicks later, Francisco Silva drilled home the winning effort as Argentine players sank despondently into the turf at the MetLife Stadium.
The defeat hit Messi hard. For all his stupendous exploits with Barcelona, he was still without any silverware in international football. Aguero revealed in Apple’s latest documentary, Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend (as per Essentially Sports), that his good friend was visibly suffering in the immediate aftermath:
“He would go to his room and lock himself up. While the rest of us were having dinner, he would keep suffering for Argentina.”
Messi soon announced his shock international retirement, having lost three finals in as many years, but made an expected U-turn, and the rest, as they say, is history.
How Lionel Messi fared at Copa America 2016
Lionel Messi had a superb campaign for Argentina at the Copa America Centenario in the United States.
After sitting out the 2-1 win over Chile in their campaign opener, the then 29-year-old bagged a hat-trick against Panama in a 5-0 win. With knockout qualification assured, Messi played only 45 minutes in the 3-0 win over Bolivia without scoring or assisting.
The current Inter Miami attacker exploded in the knockouts, contributing a goal and two assists in the 4-1 quarterfinal win over Venezuela. He repeated the same exploits in the 4-0 win over hosts USA in the last-four as La Albiceleste set up a 2015 final rematch with defending champions Chile.
However, despite playing the entire 120 minutes, the then Barcelona attacker couldn't end Argentina's 22-year-old title drought. Six years later, though, Lionel Messi would lead them to the promised land.
The Copa America 2021 champions dethroned France in an epic final in Doha, Qatar - 3-3 after extra time (4-2 on penalties) - to win their third World Cup. Of course, Messi led from the front, with a brace and a successful spot-kick in the shootout.
The hurt of 2016 was but a distant memory.
