The World Cup final lost last July 19th against Spain will remain the last match with the shirt ofArgentina on Lionel Messi. The 39-year-old champion from Rosario announced his decision on Instagram end his long adventure with the Albiceleste. He did it with a post which, only at the end, reveals that he wrote two days after that match but “today, after what happened to my father, I am even more convinced than before”, the reference to the death of father Jorge.
Messi: “A decision that hurts”
Messi, therefore, leaves the national team, a decision which, he confesses, “has hurt me and still hurts me in the depths of my soul but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I have always given everything, not only in the last few years, those in which we won everything, but also before. I have always fought and given my all for this shirt, to give you joy and make you feel proud of being Argentine through football.” At 39, Messi knows that there are stages of his career that “are coming to an end, and this is one of those that hurts me the most. I love, have loved and will always love being in the national team. But I’m now empty, I have nothing left to give and, furthermore, highly talented guys are coming up behind me who deserve to be there.”
“Thank you for all the affection you have shown me over these 20 years – writes Messi, whose debut in the Seleccion came in August 2005 with Pekerman as coach -. I will miss hearing from you and experiencing your support from inside the pitch. Now I will be one of you, always cheering and supporting from outside (in good times and bad times, even more so). Thanks to my family for always being there, for accompanying me on this journey that is as wonderful as it is difficult. Thank you to all the coaches, teammates and managers with whom I was lucky enough to share this journey. I carry with me unforgettable memories and moments. I love you, God.
Messi ends his long stage in the Seleccion after 207 games and 125 goals, con six World Cups played (a won in 2022 in addition to the finals lost in 2014 and 2026) and two editions of the America’s Cup won.