Argentina announces new law, Lionel Messi will be banned from playing

Lionel Messi is unexpectedly mentioned in the context of a new AFA regulation, which could make him ineligible to represent youth national teams if applied currently.

Recently, information emerged that Argentina is preparing to implement a new rule, under which Messi would not qualify to play for the country's youth teams if the current situation applied.

According to One Football, the Argentine Football Association will not call up any players to youth teams if they move to Europe without signing a professional contract domestically.

Rising Ballers shared this information on social media: “Argentina will stop calling up players to national youth teams who go to play in Europe without having signed a professional contract in Argentina. Players who leave as free transfers will not be called up due to the ‘patria potestad’ rule, designed to protect the rights of youth training clubs.”

When he was very young, Messi left Argentina to join Barcelona. This means that if this transfer had happened under the current circumstances, he would be banned from playing for his homeland’s youth teams.

The director of youth teams at the Argentine Football Association, Javier Méndez Cartier, stated: “By decision of the President and the Executive Committee, AFA under the current leadership always prioritizes protecting the interests of clubs involved in player development. Anyone who does not understand this and chooses to use parental guardianship rights to go abroad will not be called up to any national youth team.”

Lionel Messi will always be remembered as one of the greatest players in football history. The Argentine superstar has played for Newell’s Old Boys, Barcelona, and Paris Saint Germain before moving to MLS to play for Inter Miami. To date, Messi has appeared in 973 club matches, scoring a total of 792 goals.

He also holds an impressive collection of titles including a record 8 Ballon d’Or awards, along with 10 La Liga championships and four Champions League titles.

At the national team level, Messi has earned 196 caps for Argentina, scored 115 goals, with the pinnacle being the 2022 World Cup victory.