Argentine superstar Lionel Messi announced on Monday his retirement from international football.

In a lengthy post on his Instagram account, the 39-year-old Messi said, “This was a very difficult decision to make, and one that still hurts, but I believe the time has come.” With this decision, his 21 years of service to the national team has come to an end, though he will continue playing at club level with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.

Messi played 207 matches for Argentina, scoring a record 125 goals to become the country’s all-time top scorer. Of these, 21 goals were scored at World Cups. In men’s international football, only one player has scored more goals than him — his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, with 146 goals.

Having played in a record six World Cups, the biggest achievement of Messi’s career was lifting the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022. In addition, he won the Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024. At the recent World Cup held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, he delivered impressive performances and led Argentina to the final, but they lost in extra time to Spain in the final played in New Jersey.

According to Messi, he wrote his retirement letter on July 21, two days after the World Cup final. However, he delayed publishing the post due to his father Jorge Messi’s declining health, which ultimately led to his father’s passing on August 8 in Rosario.

An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi is regarded — alongside Diego Maradona and Brazil’s Pelé — as one of the greatest players in the history of football. In the eyes of many, he is the greatest player of all time.

“Thank you for all the love given over the past 20 years. Now I will be one of you. Someone cheering and supporting from the outside,” the football magician wrote.