Messi will not retire from Argentina, insists Aguero

Argentina striker Sergio Aguero has laughed off suggestions that compatriot and close friend Lionel Messi is considering retiring from international football.

The Barcelona star has received his fair share of criticism in his native country after they lost both the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 Copa America final.

Nevertheless, Aguero has made it clear Messi will continue to represent Argentina for the foreseeable future.

"When all these rumours about Messi potentially retiring from the national team emerged, I asked him straight up whether he was no longer coming over," Aguero told TyC Sports.

"He told me that people were making things up again.

"I replied by telling him that we would continue to meet with Argentina then and he nearly s*** himself laughing...

"Messi is calm and relaxed. He will continue to show up for the national team and play for Argentina. He always does his utmost for the team.

"Leo is always in the spotlights and people forget all the good things he has done. I'm not talking about just now, but they have been saying things about him that are not true for a while."