Argentina legend Lionel Messi announces RETIREMENT from international football, says ‘I wrote these words…’
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement plans, bringing a legendary football career closer to it's final chapter. Scroll down to read the full story.
Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international career
Lionel Messi announces retirement: A big shock for football fans as the star player, who is known for his impressive performance and dominance in the sport over the years, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from his international career.
Here's what Lionel Messi stated about his international career and retirement announcement:
"After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I'm retiring from the national team "
"It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep down but I understand that the time has come."
"I swear to you that I always gave it my all not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; 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.
"There isn't much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don't have anything more to give."
"Also, there are great young players coming through who deserve to be here."
"Thank you for all the love during these 20 years. I'm going to miss hearing you from the inside. Now I'll be one of you, always supporting from the outside, in the good times and even more in the bad ones."
"Thank you to my family for always being there and for being with me throughout this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to every coach, teammate and director I had the chance to share it with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments."
"I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of. It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you!"
"Thank you God for making me Argentine."
"Vamos Argentina!"
"I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I'm even more convinced of this decision than before."
A look at Messi's incredible journey with Argentina over the years
Speaking about his international career, Lionel Messi has scored 125 goals in 207 games for Argentina, making him the Team's highest goal scorer and the player with the most appearances.
Messi made his Argentina debut in 2005 at the age of 18. Not only this, he played his first World Cup in 2006.
In that tournament, Messi became the youngest Argentine player to play and score in a World Cup. He scored in his first World Cup match against Serbia and Montenegro.
However, his journey with Argentina was not always easy. Argentina lost in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup. In 2014, they reached the final but lost to Germany.
In 2016, Messi said he was retiring from international football after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile. However, he later changed his decision and returned to the team.
His biggest moment came in 2022 when Messi helped Argentina win the World Cup and finally lifted football's biggest trophy.
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