Mrs. Celia Cuccittini revealed the pressure her son felt before the big tournament in Russia.
Messi shed tears after missing a penalty kick that caused Argentina to lose the 2016 Copa America final.
Despite winning many individual and team titles with Barca, Messi has never won a major tournament with the Argentina national team. M10 bitterly finished second at the 2014 World Cup, 2015 and 2016 Copa America.
In an interview with Channel 13, Messi’s mother Celia Cuccittini said: “Those who criticize my son should have seen what he suffered and the times he cried for the Argentina team . If there is someone who wants to win, he is the first one.”
Messi’s mother defends her son.
Feeling unfairly criticized, Messi and his teammates had a tense relationship with the Argentine media. In 2016, he even decided to retire from the national team after missing a penalty in the Copa America final.
”We also suffer from the criticism of Messi . When people say Messi has no feeling or responsibility for playing for Argentina, I feel hurt as a mother. My family too. But fortunately, everyone loves him very much and knows how to encourage him at the right time,” Celia added.
Feeling the pressure on Messi, his wife Antonella Roccuzzo also spoke up to encourage him. “The whole family is always with you, the children love you so much,” she wrote on her personal page with a picture of the family of five.
