Messi puts same effort for his club and country

Argentina forward Lionel Messi said he could not explain the difference between his excellent form for his club Barcelona and his indifferent performances for his country.

Argentina forward Lionel Messi said on Monday he could not explain the difference between his excellent form for his club Barcelona and his indifferent performances for his country.

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Messi has had an outstanding year with the Catalan club, helping to win the Spanish championship, the Champions League, Copa del Rey and Club World championship.

But he has struggled for Diego Maradona’s Argentina, who crawled into the World Cup with a 1-0 win away to Uruguay in the last of their 18-match campaign and face Nigeria, South Korea and Greece in their first round group in South Africa.

“I don’t know,” Messi told reporters before FIFA’s World Player of the Year award ceremony. I try to do the same as I do for Barcelona. But in the World Cup the qualifiers are complicated, sometimes it’s difficult to play and it was a big effort for us to qualify.”

Messi is favourite win the award where he is joined on the shortlist by his Barcelona team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi and by Real Madrid pair Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. He is frequently upset by suggestions that he saves his best for his club.

“It bothers me a lot,” he said. “I’m Argentine and I have a feeling for the shirt.