Messi desperate for Argentina success – Bauza

Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza believes no one wants to win a trophy with the national team more than Lionel Messi.

Messi briefly retired from international duty after his nation’s loss to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final in June.

It marked a third final loss in as many years for Argentina, following on from their defeat to Germany at the 2014 World Cup and Chile at the 2015 Copa America.

Bauza knows how desperate Messi is to succeed internationally, to add to his glittering club career.

“He is a player very committed to the national team. He had said something in a moment of frustration,” he told Marca.

“But we started talking about football and you realise that he lives for that.

“No one else wants to win a title with the national team as much and he showed me in those two hours of conversation we had.”

Argentina are battling in World Cup qualifying, sitting sixth in the table through 10 games.

Bauza has his sights set high, wanting the country to return to the final of the showpiece tournament – which Argentina last won in 1986.

“[I want to] play another World Cup final,” he said.

“It will not be easy, but my life was a struggle.”