My Son Asks Why They Want To Kill Me In Argentina!

The 31-year-old returned to the La Albiceleste squad for last week's friendly games against Venezuela and Morroco, but he was forced to return to the Camp Nou early after picking up an injury.

And Messi has disclosed his son Thiago asked him why fans want to "kill" him in Argentina following his latest set back on the international stage.

Last Friday, Barcelona captained played the full 90 minutes of Argentina's 3-1 defeat at home to Venezuela, but a groin injury meant he had to sit out Tuesday's 1-0 win over Morroco.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has often been made a scapegoat in his country for the national team's recent failures, which is one of the reasons he decided to take a break after the 2018 World Cup.

Messi's relationship with the South American media has always been soured and he even announced his retirement from international football in 2015 after missing out on winning the Copa America.

The Barca star player later reversed his decision and led his country to the World Cup finals in Russia last year, but a last-16 defeat at the hands of Le Blues did little to help cease hostilities.

This week in an interview session with Argentinian radio show Club Octubre 947 FM, Messi revealed that he finds the critics "hard" and that his son, Thiago has even picked up on the negative comments swirling in the media.

"It is hard, my son is always looking on YouTube and saw a video," he began. "He asked me why in Argentina they want to kill me!

"But I like to keep going. I still want to win something with the national team. I am going to play all the important games. We already reached a World Cup final [in 2014] and this is not that easy".

He also dismissed reports suggesting that he overrules the coaching staff for Argentina, adding: "I don't want to make a reality all the lies they say about me.”

"I don't decide on the national team coaches. I am hearing these bad things and it is hard to enjoy in that scenario.”

"If we had won the World Cup in Brazil all would be different today. We lost because of small details. After that there were a lot of messes and I think the press should have dealt with it in a different way".

As they start looking ahead to this year's edition of the Copa America, Messi has also gave an insight into the role the Albiceleste manager Lionel Scaloni has asked him to take up in the team.

"He wants a strong and a solid team which doesn't concede chances, doesn't suffer in defence and that is safe without the ball," said Messi.”

"He wants me to start on the outside before earning superiority on the inside. He especially wants us to build a hard team".