Lionel Messi has announced his return to Argentina’s national team, ending his short-lived retirement from international football. Messi called it quits after missing a penalty in the shootout defeat to Chile in the Copa America final. “I see that there are a lot of problems in Argentina football and I don’t want to create more,” Messi said in a statement.

• However, the 29-year-old made a U-turn on his earlier decision, according to a statement released by Argentine media. As the country play qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela in the starting of September, Argentina’s all-time leading scorer (with 55 goals in 113 appearances) is set to be a valuable asset.

• With the CONMEBOL deadline to name the squads for September’s World Cup qualifiers looming  newly-appointed Argentina manager Edgardo Bauza had expressed confidence Messi would change his mind and opt to return to the team, and that belief was rewarded with Messi’s confirmation .

• Argentina are preparing for September qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela after crashing out in the group stage of the Olympics for the first time since 1964.

• The federation, which had been led by Julio Grondona since the 1970s, has been in turmoil since his death in 2014.

• In June, FIFA stepped in and named a committee to run its daily affairs, with a stipulation that elections must be held by July 2017.