Lionel Messi, 39, announced on Monday that he is retiring from Argentina’s national team, ending a career that spanned two decades and included the country’s long-awaited 2022 World Cup victory. In a handwritten letter shared on social media, the forward told fans he had spent weeks reflecting since Argentina’s most recent World Cup final appearance on July 19 before deciding the time had come to step away.
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deeply, but I understand it’s the right moment,” Messi wrote, adding that he always gave everything for the national jersey, both before and after Argentina’s recent run of titles, in hopes of making Argentines proud through soccer.
Messi captained the team from 2010 until this year and became its all-time leading scorer during his 20 seasons with the squad known as “la Albiceleste,” a nickname referring to Argentina’s sky-blue and white uniform colors.
The announcement comes just weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who had supported his career from its earliest days. In an earlier emotional tribute, Messi had hinted at uncertainty about his soccer future, writing that he didn’t know how to continue without his father by his side.
This is a developing story. Read the full report at El Tiempo.
Image: Johnragai-Moment Catcher, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).