Hundreds of Argentines protested in pouring rain on Saturday, de-manding that soccer star Lionel Messi return to Argentina’s national team after he unexpectedly quit following a loss in the regional Copa America final.

Messi, a five-time World Player of the Year, has played in three Copa America finals, in 2007, 2015, and 2016, as well as in the 2014 World Cup final, losing every time.

During the Copa final against Chile last week, he missed Argen-tina’s opening penalty in the shootout after the game ended 0-0 and was in tears sitting near the team dugout.

“I think this is it. It’s over for me on the team,” he told reporters shortly after the match.

Nevertheless, Argentines, at the urging of public figures such as President Mauricio Macri and Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona, gathered Saturday evening around the Obelisco, a monument on one of Buenos Aires’s avenues where fans traditionally celebrate sporting victories.

Waving banners that lauded Messi in superlative terms, they begged the star to don the national squad’s iconic blue and white stripes once again.

“There’s a saying that there’s a Messi every 500 million years and we’re enjoying that, so we have to be grateful that we live in this time,” said fan Santiago Bordero.

After Argentina’s loss against Chile in the final, which took place in New Jersey, Messi returned to Argentina and spent time in his native city of Rosario.

He then went to the Bahamas on vacation, while many Argentines awaited further statements from the star.

Argentina’s national squad returns to action in September when they take on traditional rivals Uruguay in a qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup.

Ranked third among teams in South America’s CONMEBOL soccer federation, Argentina are currently in a qualifying position.

However, after the team scored only five of 12 goals in its last four matches when Messi was out due to injury, Argentine football fans had been anxious to see him return to the field.

“He has to come back – excuse the emotion – but it’s what I feel,” said Juan Alberto Salas.

“For me, Lionel Messi is exceptional... a god.”

Lionel Messi’s country career profile...

• Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final.

• Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt.

• Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout.

• Led Argentina to the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

•  Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa.

• After a season disrupted by injury, Messi captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament’s best player.

• Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation.

•  Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina’s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in Chicago.

• Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals.

•  Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals.