Lionel Messi will no longer be seen in international football. The Argentine football superstar has announced his retirement from the national team.
Messi announced his decision on Monday in a post on Instagram. In the message, he said: “After the time that passed since the final, thinking about it a lot, I want to communicate to everyone that I am retiring from the national team.”
Saying the decision had been extremely painful, Messi wrote: “It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul but I understand that it is the right time. I swear I always gave everything, not just in the last few years when we won everything but before that too, and I always fought and gave my all for this shirt.”
Messi said one of his main goals with the national team had been to bring joy to the people of his country.
“I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” he wrote.
Speaking about the pain of leaving the national team, Messi said: “There’s little time left, stages of your career close, and this one hurts me a lot. I love, I loved and I always will love being in the national team. I gave my all, I don’t have anything left to give and beyond that really great young players are coming who deserve to be there.”
Messi also thanked his longtime fans.
“Thank you for all the love in these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you from inside. Now I’m going to be one more of you, cheering and supporting always from the outside, in the good times and the bad, even more so,” he wrote.
He thanked his family for standing by him throughout his career.
“Thank you to my family for always being there, for accompanying me on this beautiful but difficult journey,” Messi wrote. He also thanked the coaches, teammates and officials he had worked with, saying he would never forget the memories and moments they shared.
Messi also reflected on the success he achieved alongside his Argentina teammates.
“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you, alongside my teammates, moments we once only dreamed of,” he wrote. “It was an incredible experience to share and enjoy those moments with you. I love you.”
At the end of his message, Messi described playing for Argentina as a blessing from God.
“Thank you, God, for making me Argentine. Vamos Argentina,” he wrote.
At the end of the message, Messi said he had written it on July 21, two days after the final. However, the recent death of his father, Jorge Messi, further strengthened his decision to leave the national team.
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