MIAMI (USA) (ITALPRESS) – The World Cup final defeat against Spain on July 19 will be Lionel Messi’s last match for Argentina. The 39-year-old Rosario native announced his decision on Instagram to end his long career with the Albiceleste.
He did so with a post he revealed at the end he wrote two days after that match, but “today, after what happened to my father, I’m even more convinced than before,” a reference to the death of his father, Jorge.
Messi is therefore retiring from the national team, a decision he confesses “that hurt and still hurts me deeply, but I understand the time has come. I swear to you that I’ve always given everything, not just in the last few years, when we won everything, but even before that. I’ve always fought and given my all for this shirt, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentinians through football.”
At 39, Messi knows that there are stages in his career that are “coming to a close, 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 besides, there are some very talented players coming up behind me who deserve to be there.”
“Thank you for all the affection you’ve shown me over these 20 years,” Messi, whose Seleccion debut came in August 2005 under Pekerman, wrote. “I will sorely miss hearing from you and experiencing your support from on the pitch. Now I will be one of you, always cheering and supporting me from outside (in good times and bad, even more so). Thank you to my family for always being there, for accompanying me on this journey, as wonderful as it is difficult. Thank you to all the coaches, teammates, and managers with whom I’ve been fortunate enough to share this journey. I carry with me unforgettable memories and moments. I leave with the serenity and pride of having given you, together with my teammates, dream moments. It was crazy to be able to experience them with you. I love you! Thank you God for making me Argentine.”
Messi thus ends his long spell in the Seleccion after 207 matches and 125 goals, with six World Cups played (one won in 2022 in addition to the finals lost in 2014 and 2026) and two editions of the Copa America won.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
