Argentina president says he thinks Lionel Messi will return to national team

Argentina president Mauricio Macri believes Lionel Messi will play for the national team again. The superstar announced his retirement from international soccer after Argentina's penalty kick loss to Chile in the Copa America Centenario, but Macri has talked to Messi on the phone since and he's convinced that the Barcelona man will be back.

"I talked to him on the phone; I'm sure he will come back," Macri told CNBC. "He's the best in the world."

The country has been doing everything it can to convince Messi to return. Buenos Aires unveiled a statue of Messi after the final, expressing their love for him and people rallied in the streets, asking for him to return. Now the country's leader is getting on the phone with Messi and trying to cajole him into pulling on the Argentina shirt again.

All indications are that Messi will return. Reports quoting people close him to have hinted at a return and his teammates said immediately that his retirement was just the heartbreak of losing again that would wear off some. Now the president of the entire country is hopping on the "Messi will return" bandwagon.

Of course, we still haven't heard from Messi himself, so who knows.

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