Lionel Messi’s last appearance for Argentina came on soccer’s biggest stage: this year’s World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium.
The 39-year-old football icon announced Monday that he is stepping away from the Argentina national team following the country’s defeat to Spain in the final. The decision comes four years after Messi lifted the World Cup trophy with Argentina, cementing one of the defining chapters of his legendary career. In an Instagram post featuring a handwritten note spread across three sheets of notebook paper, Messi said he had written the message on July 21, two days after the loss to Spain.
His retirement announcement also arrives a little more than three weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died at 68 after battling an illness.
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“Today, after what happened with my dad, I am more convinced than ever,” Messi wrote in Spanish.
Messi, who continues to play club soccer for Inter Miami in MLS, leaves Argentina as the national team’s all-time leader in both goals, with 125, and appearances, with 207.
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts to my core, but I understand that it’s the right time,” Messi wrote in Spanish. “I swear that I always gave my all, not only in the last few years when we won everything, but also before, and I always fought and gave everything for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentinian through football.
“There’s not much time left, and chapters are closing, and this is one that hurts me a lot. I love, loved, and will always love being on the National Team. I’ve given everything; I have nothing more to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up behind me who deserve to be there.”