Argentine legend Lionel Messi on Monday announced his retirement from international football.
The record eight-times Ballon d'Or winner is his country's record appearance-maker and scorer with 125 goals in 207 games.
The 39-year-old said that the decision hurt deep down but added that the time had come to move on.
Taking to Instagram, Messi said "It was a decision that hurt - and still hurts deep down - but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all - not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football."
"I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you - alongside my teammates - moments we once only dreamed of," he added.
After years of disappointment with Argentina, including defeat in the 2014 World Cup final and successive Copa America finals, Messi won his first major international trophy at the 2021 Copa America before leading his country to glory at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Messi led Argentina to their first World Cup after 36 years in 2022 when they overcame France in a penalty shootout in Doha. It was a heartbreak this year, when his side lost 1-0 to Spain in the final. The Defeat denied the star a fairytale farewell, but his place among the game's greats had long since been secured.
Following the death of his father Jorge in August, Messi had said he had "serious doubts" about continuing to play football of any sort for "much longer".
Messi's contract with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2028 season.