As recently as llast year he was still widely hated in Arg. A lot more like him now.
That is simply untrue. I love how this sort of misinformation gets magnified and accepted as gospel.
Messi is Argentinian and Rosarian before anything else. And his exploits over the last season and a bit have endeared him ever more to the Argentine public.
I don't understand how this sort of award that is made in many countries across the world causes such an overreaction. Martinez and Krismanich may not be in the global eye but winning a world title and an Olympic gold when they are quite rare for Argentina is an event.
Argentina have suffered enough with losing players to rivals for the last few decades anyway. Had the idiots at the AFA not decided to ban the players who moved to Europe after their win in the 1957 Copa America where they beat Brazil 3-0 (most of whom were in the 58 WC winning side) they might well have already more World Cups.
These players weren't just any run of the mill players either but players like di Stefano, Angellilo and Sivori.
I am very pleased Messi rejected the Spanish FA's overtures and I hope other young Argentines like Paulo Dybala do the same.