If Lionel Messi is ever criticised, you can bet good money that it's regarding Argentina.

Despite his innumerable achievements with Barcelona, some football fans are of the belief that the 31-year-old can't be considered the greatest ever until he enjoys international success.

Messi 'only' has an Olympic gold medal to his name during his Argentina career and many believe that a World Cup victory is essential to usurping players like Pele and Diego Maradona.

The mercurial forward came agonisingly close in 2014, narrowly losing to Germany in the final, while the 2006 and 2010 tournaments saw Argentina bow out during the quarter-finals.

The Copa America has only presented more frustration for Messi, too, who has suffered the ignominy of final defeats in 2007, 2015 and 2016.

Messi's Argentina woes

It's clear that international duty has taken its toll on Messi over the years and his decision to take a break from Argentina during the back end of 2018 exemplified that fact.

And that very move came off the back of that year's World Cup, perhaps the clearest example of Messi feeling the pressure and stresses of performing for his country.

Despite producing flashes of brilliance in Russia, it didn't take a sports psychologist to notice that Messi was struggling with the occasion and all the expectation that came with it.

Messi: I wanted to suffer alone

You can't exactly blame the Barcelona man for feeling that way and the suspicions of supporters seem to have been confirmed in a revealing new interview with the man himself.

Speaking to Argentine radio Radio 94.7 Club Octubre and per the translation of journalist Juan Arango, Messi explained: “It was difficult to talk about the World Cup.

"After the World Cup, I didn’t feel like talking. I wanted to be locked up and suffer on my own with my family. I wanted to get away from everything.

"Get away from the national team and look at things coldly. We’ve been mistreated for over a decade despite our achievements.

"This is despite not winning any trophies. We played three finals and to end this cycle this way.

"There were many things that went wrong from the beginning. Not being able to win the first match, missing the penalty.

Messi's Argentina future

"The second match started out very even but after the first goal, things went south. We got disorganised.

“We qualified in the last match and then in the France match, it was 2-2 and they scored and we weren’t able to get it back together and then we had to start from behind.

"The World Cup started out badly. Qualifiers were difficult. It was all difficult.”

If there were any doubts about the toll last summer's World Cup took on Messi, they can be dispelled now and it makes you feel pretty sorry for him.

However, when you have the talent of Messi, you wouldn't bet against him producing a fairytale Copa America or World Cup victory in the future.

Do you think Messi will win a major trophy with Argentina? Have your say in the comments section below.