"I Have No More Strength to Give"... 'God of Football' Messi Retires from Argentina National Team

[Financial News]  Lionel Messi (39), widely regarded as the greatest player in football history, has announced his retirement from the Argentina national team.
On the 31st of last month local time, Messi said on Instagram, "Now that some time has passed since the World Cup final, I want to share my retirement news after much thought."
He said, "It is a painful decision, but I know this is the time to leave." He added, "I gave everything I had, and now I have no more strength to give."
He continued, "I sincerely thank you for the love you have shown me over the past 20 years. I will miss the moments when I heard your cheers in the stadium so much." He added, "I loved every moment as part of the national team, and I love it now and will love it forever."
He went on to say, "I leave with deep relief and pride, knowing I was able to give you dreamlike moments. It was truly a joy to share all of this with you. I love you." He added, "From now on, I will support the national team forever from the outside, as one of your fans, and I will continue to cheer and lend my strength."
This is not the first time Messi has announced his retirement from the national team. He previously declared his retirement after Argentina lost the Copa America final in 2016, but later returned to the team after repeated pleas from then-president and fans.
Messi first wore the senior Argentina national team jersey in 2005 and has since played 207 matches, scoring 125 goals. Those are the all-time records for most appearances and most goals in Argentina national team history.
He led Argentina to its first World Cup title in 36 years at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, recording seven goals and three assists. He also finished as runner-up at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. He won the Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament's MVP, twice, in 2014 and 2022.
Across his stints with Futbol Club Barcelona, PSG, and Inter Miami CF, he has recorded 927 goals and 421 assists. With eight Ballon d'Or awards, he is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.
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