At the age of 39, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national football team via his personal social media account. Messi stated in his lengthy post that these words were written on July 21.
Below is Messi’s retirement statement from the national team:
After the final, I thought for a long time, and now I want to tell everyone: I am retiring from the Argentina national football team……
This is a decision that has caused me immense inner pain, both in the past and even now, yet I know it is time to move forward. I assure you that I have always given everything I had. Not only during these years when we claimed honours, but long before that. I gave my all for this jersey, only to bring you joy and make you proud to be Argentinians through football.
Chapters of life keep turning, and this farewell truly weighs heavily on me. I loved, I love, and I will always love wearing the national team jersey. I have given every ounce of myself and have nothing more left to offer. Besides, a great group of talented young players have emerged, and they deserve their chance.
Thank you for all the love you have shown me over these twenty years. I will especially miss hearing your chants inside the stadium. From now on, I will be just like you, an ordinary fan who will keep supporting and standing firmly behind the national team through good times and bad.
Thank you to my family, who stayed by my side and accompanied me through this wonderful yet incredibly difficult journey. Thank you to all the coaches, teammates and staff I have worked with. I have gained memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
I bid farewell with calmness and great pride, for together with my teammates, we delivered those dream‑fulfilling moments for you. Experiencing all of this alongside you has felt like a dream.
I love you all! Thank God for making me an Argentinian. Go Argentina!
*These words were written on July 21, two days after the final. Following what happened with my father, I am more certain of this decision than ever before.