Argentina forward Lionel Messi could still feature in the Olympics football despite his club Barcelona winning the right to prevent him from doing so.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) ruled that Barcelona, Schalke and Werder Bremen were permitted to recall their players from the Games. But a spokesperson for the Catalan giants told BBC Sport they would decide Messi’s fate at a meeting.

The 21-year-old is currently in Beijing with the Argentina squad. National team coach Sergio Batista was adamant his star player would feature in the opening game against Ivory Coast in Shanghai.

“The player is here and will remain with the team. He will start Thursday’s game from the beginning and I’m sure he can be with us for the rest of the competition,” said Batista, just hours after the ruling was announced.

Schalke and Werder Bremen are also considering letting their respective players, Brazilians Rafinha and Diego, compete at the Games, providing adequate insurance can be arranged by the Brazil national association against any injury.