Lionel Messi has left Barcelona's base in Italy and will take the first flight out to join his national team-mates in preparation for the Olympic Games after FIFA's ruling on Wednesday.
Football's global governing body announced that all clubs must release their Under-23 players that have been called up to play in the tournament and Messi has acted immediately.
After staying quiet on the subject while he waited for Barça and Argentina to reach an agreement, the 21-year-old spoke out and stated that he would follow what FIFA decided.
If Barcelona then appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) and are successful, then Messi admits that he would grudgingly have to return to Camp Nou.
"I want to clear things up," he told Barça's official website. "I understand that position of the club because we are playing for so much. From the start I have said that I want to play for my national team and at no time have there been any problems until now.
"I am waiting to see what FIFA says and if they say I do not have to go then I will not go and if they say I have to go then I will go without waiting for the outcome of the TAS, because that would be too late and my team-mates and the national team coaching staff are waiting for me.
"If once I am there, TAS says that I have to return then I will return, but for the time being I want to be with my national team and my colleagues."
Messi is keen to play for Argentina, but claims that he realises why Barcelona are so keen to not see him have another draining summer to cope with.
"Barça maintain their position to not let me go and I understand that and I think they are right, but I also think that they have to understand that my dream is to play for my country at the Olympic Games," he added.
"I have already been told that was not on, that the national team did not want that, which is normal because they want a group of players to work with the whole time."
Football's global governing body announced that all clubs must release their Under-23 players that have been called up to play in the tournament and Messi has acted immediately.
After staying quiet on the subject while he waited for Barça and Argentina to reach an agreement, the 21-year-old spoke out and stated that he would follow what FIFA decided.
If Barcelona then appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) and are successful, then Messi admits that he would grudgingly have to return to Camp Nou.
"I want to clear things up," he told Barça's official website. "I understand that position of the club because we are playing for so much. From the start I have said that I want to play for my national team and at no time have there been any problems until now.
"I am waiting to see what FIFA says and if they say I do not have to go then I will not go and if they say I have to go then I will go without waiting for the outcome of the TAS, because that would be too late and my team-mates and the national team coaching staff are waiting for me.
"If once I am there, TAS says that I have to return then I will return, but for the time being I want to be with my national team and my colleagues."
Messi is keen to play for Argentina, but claims that he realises why Barcelona are so keen to not see him have another draining summer to cope with.
"Barça maintain their position to not let me go and I understand that and I think they are right, but I also think that they have to understand that my dream is to play for my country at the Olympic Games," he added.
"I have already been told that was not on, that the national team did not want that, which is normal because they want a group of players to work with the whole time."
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