With a touching post on Instagram, in which there is a photo with three pages written by himself in pen, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team.

The news was made known by Lionel Messi himself. As the Inter Miami footballer says, “…I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today, after what happened to my father, I am even more convinced than before.”

What Messi says in his post

“After all this time that has passed since the final, and after a lot of thought, I want to announce to everyone that I am retiring from the National Team…

It was a decision that hurt me, and still hurts, to the depths of my heart, but I understand that it is the right time. I swear that I have always given my best, not only in the last few years when we won everything, but also before that. I have always fought and given everything for this shirt, to bring you joy and make you proud to be Argentines through football.

There is not much time left, and the chapters are closing, and that is what hurts me deeply. I love, have loved and will always love being in the National Team. I have given everything. I have nothing more to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up behind me who deserve to be there.

Thank you for all the love and support over these 20 years. I will miss hearing from you all from the inside. Now I will just be one of you, cheering you on and supporting you from the sidelines (in good times and bad, even more).

I thank my family for always being there, for accompanying me on this beautiful but difficult journey. I thank every coach, teammate and manager with whom I had the pleasure of sharing this experience. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments.

I leave with the peace and pride of having given you, along with my teammates, some truly dreamlike moments. It was incredible to share this with you. I love you!

Thank you, God, for making me an Argentine. Go Argentina!