Lionel Messi
World Cup 2018 is near. Argentine Football Federation president Claudio Tapia has asked Lionel Messi to reduce the number of appearances in Barcelona.
World Cup 2018 will be held in Russia on 14 June to 15 July. Argentina became one of 32 countries that will take part in the biggest soccer celebration.
Argentina escaped to Russia with difficulty. They will have to wait until the last World Cup qualifying match of the South American zone counter Ecuador to ensure the tickets, which are achieved after a 3-1 win over Messi hat-trick.
The role of Messi is so crucial for Argentina to make Tapia ask the player to maintain fitness. One of them is to reduce his playing quota in La Liga with Barcelona.
"I hope all players can arrive at the level they are in. Sergio Aguero is performing superbly now and Lionel Messi is always at the top level of his game," Tapia said as quoted by Reuters.
"It's vital for team directors and coaching staff.We talked to Messi about keeping himself and playing less for Barcelona," he added.
This season, Messi has played 36 times and scored 27 goals for Barca. La Pulga is still a mainstay Barca in three competitions namely La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League.