India, July 20 -- In 2016, at the MetLife Stadium in New York, Lionel Messi faced the biggest dilemma of his career: fight or flight. A second successive defeat in a major final - first the 2014 World Cup against Germany and then the 2016 Copa America against Chile - left Messi shattered. His immediate instinct was to walk away. At 29, believing international success would forever remain out of reach, he announced his retirement from Argentina duty, choosing instead to focus on an already glittering Barcelona career. Even Diego Maradona, who had coached Messi between 2008 and 2010, questioned his leadership after the defeat, claiming the he "had no personality" and lacked the character to lead Argentina.

Less than two months later, Messi...