Lionel Messi announces Argentina retirement after 20 years | OneFootball

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from Argentina duty, confirming the decision in an Instagram post on Monday. The player said in a post that the choice hurt deeply but followed 20 years with the national team.

After reflecting since the final, he concluded it was the right moment to step away. He stressed he had always given everything, not only in recent winning years, aiming to bring joy and pride to Argentines.

He accepted that stages are closing and, while he loves representing his country, he feels emptied and has nothing more to give. He also pointed to outstanding youngsters coming through who deserve their chance.

He will miss hearing the supporters from the pitch and will now be another fan, backing the team from outside in good times and bad.

Messi thanked his family for unwavering support during a beautiful yet difficult journey, along with every coach, team-mate and official he shared it with. He carries unforgettable memories.

He departs with calm and pride at having, alongside his team-mates, delivered dream moments. He closed with affection for the fans, gratitude to God for making him Argentine, and a final Vamos Argentina.

Source: SuperDepor.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”