Argentina Legend Diego Maradona has urged Lionel Messi to retire from international football.

Messi has not played for Argentina since the 2018 World Cup and has missed matches against Guatemala and Colombia recently.

He has now also been ruled out of friendlies against Iran and Brazil later this month.

Messi's future has been in doubt since the South Americans were knocked out of the World Cup by France in the last 16.

The Barcelona Star is yet to discuss his future having previously retired in June 2016.

He returns months later and was crucial as Argentina qualified for the 2018 World Cup.

And Maradona believes Lionel Messi Should not return to international football.

"What would I tell Messi? To not come back any more. To retire," Maradona told Clarin.

"The Under-15s lose and it is Messi's fault, the fixture list in Argentina puts Racing against Boca and Messi is to blame.

“He is always to blame. Stop breaking my balls.

"I would tell him: 'don't go anymore, man'. Let's see if they can handle that. Let's see if they're really big men.

"I would have liked to see him tell us all to f**k off. Because he is not to blame for us not being world champions.

“Fine, we all placed our hopes in him, butwhen you go to the racetrack you hope your horse wins and he comes in eighth.

"In Formula One Vettel has a great engine and Hamilton beats him.

“Right now the national team doesn't do anything for me or for the people. We have lost that. The passion.

“It cannot play against Nicaragua or Malta, no, brother. We are throwing all the prestige we earned down the toilet."