The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, has expressed that Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi has the opportunity to "make history once more" by representing his national team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Messi last year won the World Cup in Qatar and also has an Olympic gold medal from Beijing 2008.
"For Lionel Messi, it would mean a chance to write history once again. He could be the only player in history to have two gold medals and a World Cup," Bach told reporters during a visit to Argentina, according to the Inside the Games news portal on Thursday.
The men's Olympic football tournament is an under-23 competition, with only three overage players allowed.
"I don't want to interfere in the decisions of the coach, but it would be a great opportunity for Messi," Bach said.
"If he plays, Argentina would have a higher chance of winning the gold medal; it would be fantastic for football and the Olympic Games."
Last month, Argentina's Olympic coach Javier Mascherano said he would like to have Messi in his squad. The national team, however, has not yet secured their spot at Paris 2024, as the South American qualifiers are scheduled for January and February.
For Messi, however, there is another issue: He is likely to play next year's Copa America from June 20-July 14 in the United States.
The football tournament at the Olympics is due to start only 10 days after the Copa America final.
