[Official Announcement] Lionel Messi Announces Retirement from National Team: "I Was Extremely Happy... A Painful Decision"

*This content was translated by AI.

We will no longer see 'the god of football' on the World Cup stage. Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami) is retiring from the Argentina national team jersey.

On the 1st (Korean time), Messi announced his official retirement from the Argentina national team via his personal social networking service (SNS).

Messi began with a lengthy post: "After much reflection following the final match, I wish to announce my retirement from the national team."

He continued, "This was a soul-wrenching and painful decision, but I understand this is precisely the moment. Not only in recent years when we won everything, but even before that, I always fought with everything for this jersey. I poured my all into bringing joy to the people through football and making them feel proud to be Argentine."

Messi reached the pinnacle of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, securing his first and only World Cup title in his career. Reflecting on leaving the national team, Messi said, "There is little left for me now, and challenges are coming to an end one by one. This time, my heart feels especially painful. I have always loved being part of the national team, I love it now, and I will love it forever. I have given everything I had and have nothing more to give. Moreover, there are excellent young players behind me who are fully qualified to join the national team."

He did not forget to express gratitude to fans and teammates. Messi wrote, "Thank you for all the love you have shown me over the past 20 years. I will truly miss the moments when I heard your cheers on the field. From now on, I will always support and cheer for the national team from the outside as just one fan among you. Whether times are good or hard, I will cheer even louder."

He added, "I am grateful to my family who have always been with me on this beautiful yet arduous journey. I also thank all the coaches, teammates, and executives I worked with. I leave carrying unforgettable memories and moments in my heart. I retire with pride and peace of mind for having gifted you the moments we dreamed of together. I was extremely happy to be able to live and breathe alongside you. I love you."

Messi concluded his post: "Thank you, God, who made me an Argentine. Let's go, Argentina!"

Furthermore, at the end of his message, Messi stated, "I wrote this letter two days after the final match, on July 21. And today, after experiencing my father's passing, I became even more certain than before," conveying that his decision to retire was already firm.

Messi earned a legendary career by appearing in 207 official international matches for the Argentina national team while wearing their jersey, recording 125 goals and 68 assists. Starting with the U-20 World Cup title in 2005, he achieved Olympic medals, back-to-back Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, and won the Finalissima in 2022.

Notably, Messi scored seven goals at the Qatar World Cup, leading his homeland Argentina to world supremacy for the first time in 36 years. He has participated in five World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), scoring a total of 13 goals. At the 2014 Brazil World Cup and the 2022 Qatar World Cup, he received the Golden Ball award given to the tournament's best player, establishing an unprecedented achievement in World Cup history by winning the Golden Ball twice.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.