ARGENTINA FOOTBALL GREAT LIONEL MESSI HAS ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL, SAYING THE DECISION HURTS BUT THE TIME HAS COME.
THE 39-YEAR-OLD, WHO CAPTAINED ARGENTINA TO FIFA WORLD CUP GLORY IN QATAR IN 2022, ENDS HIS INTERNATIONAL CAREER AS HIS COUNTRY'S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER AND MOST-CAPPED PLAYER, WITH 125 GOALS IN 207 APPEARANCES.
MESSI SAYS TIME IS RUNNING SHORT AND WHILE CLOSING THIS CHAPTER HURTS DEEPLY, HE WILL ALWAYS LOVE BEING PART OF THE NATIONAL TEAM.
HE SAYS HE HAS GIVEN IT HIS ALL AND HAS NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE, ADDING THERE ARE SOME GREAT YOUNG PLAYERS COMING THROUGH WHO DESERVE THEIR CHANCE.
THE EIGHT-TIME BALLON D'OR WINNER SAYS HE WROTE HIS RETIREMENT MESSAGE ON JULY 21ST, TWO DAYS AFTER ARGENTINA LOST TO SPAIN IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL.
MESSI HAD EARLIER INDICATED HE WAS CONSIDERING HIS FUTURE IN FOOTBALL FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, JORGE, AGED 68 AFTER A LONG ILLNESS.
HE SAYS WHAT HAPPENED WITH HIS FATHER HAS MADE HIM EVEN MORE CONVINCED ABOUT HIS DECISION.
MESSI MADE HIS INTERNATIONAL DEBUT IN 2005 AS A SUBSTITUTE AGAINST HUNGARY AND WENT ON TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS ONE OF FOOTBALL'S ALL-TIME GREATS.
HE HELPED ARGENTINA WIN THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP AND TWO COPA AMERICA TITLES.
MESSI SCORED EIGHT GOALS AND REGISTERED FOUR ASSISTS AT THIS YEAR'S WORLD CUP, TAKING HIS CAREER WORLD CUP ASSISTS TALLY TO 12.
HE FINISHES HIS INTERNATIONAL CAREER WITH 21 WORLD CUP GOALS, ONE BEHIND FRANCE'S KYLIAN MBAPPE, WHILE HIS 125 INTERNATIONAL GOALS PUT HIM BEHIND PORTUGAL'S CRISTIANO RONALDO ON 146.
MESSI HAD PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED HIS INTERNATIONAL RETIREMENT IN 2016 FOLLOWING ARGENTINA'S COPA AMERICA FINAL LOSS TO CHILE BEFORE LATER REVERSING THE DECISION.
IN HIS FAREWELL MESSAGE TO ARGENTINA SUPPORTERS, MESSI THANKED THEM FOR THEIR LOVE OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS AND SAYS HE WILL NOW BE ONE OF THEM, CHEERING AND SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL TEAM FROM THE SIDELINES.
MESSI WILL CONTINUE PLAYING CLUB FOOTBALL FOR INTER MIAMI IN MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER, WHERE HE IS CONTRACTED UNTIL THE END OF THE 2028 SEASON.
SOURCE: BBC SPORT
