Lionel Messi said that winning a major title with Argentina is his top priority since with Barcelona the star forward "has won everything" with his club.
As Barcelona get ready to play Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande in Club World Cup semifinals on Dec. 17 in Yokahama, Messi told Argentina's TyC Sports that he has not lost focus on the Albiceleste.
The four-time Ballon d'Or winner said he is tired of continued criticism from Argentine media for the team's penalty shootout defeat to hosts Chile in this summer's Copa America final and the loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.
"Always, all the matches with the national team are the priority," Messi said. "With this club and individually I have had the good luck to have won everything. With the national team I also want to win something. I think we have a chance [next year] because the Copa America [Centenario] will be something beautiful, different from the others and the conditions will be spectacular. The World Cup, the Copa America, at some point we have to win a trophy."
The 28-year-old has won all of the biggest trophies at club level for Barca but has yet to win a title with the senior Argentina side.
"Because of what happened we have had a tough time on the national team," he said. "We were lucky to reach the final of the World Cup and another at the Copa America and it is discussed as though we hadn't done anything. And we keep hearing people criticising us. We didn't win? No we didn't but it is not like we lost in the round of 16. We got to the final. And because of that, when we get a new chance, we don't know whether it will be better or worse, or whether we will keep suffering."
He said the players are all committed to winning, adding: "The main thing is that we try play with as much or more intensity than any other team we face. With intensity you can match anyone. Put pressure on them, be on top of them and know that we have to be aggressive and have the ball the most time possible."
Barcelona travelled to Japan on Sunday and face the Asian Champions League winners, who are managed by Luiz Felipe Scolari, and who defeated Mexican side Club America 2-1 in quarterfinals. A win by Luis Enrique's side could set up a potential match against Argentine side River Plate in the final.
"[River manager Marcelo] Gallardo is very smart and I am sure he has already planned a strategy against us, or has an idea in his head," Messi said. "River have great players who can come out and challenge us. I don't know if it will be that way or not, but they play very well and there is always the possibility that they will challenge us."
Messi told FIFA.com that the Blaugrana were taking the match very seriously.
"There's no need [to search for motivation]! We know just how much the Club World Cup means and for us it's about winning another title, these championship wins are an indelible legacy in the history of the club," he said. "It's something very important."
Messi conceded that the Club World Cup title would be the icing on the cake for a very successful 2015.
"It's been an amazing year. That time when we won everything under [Pep] Guardiola [in 2009] looked unrepeatable, we genuinely weren't sure if we'd one day get close to that again," he said. "And here we are. Now what's left for us to do is end the year in the best possible way and make it unforgettable."