Football icon Lionel Messi has announced retirement from international football, ending 21 years of national-team duty that were capped by winning the World Cup in 2022 to secure his place in the pantheon of the game’s greatest ever players. The Argentine will though continue playing football at club level.
During his 21-year career, Lionel Messi secured his place among the greatest to have played the game.
Messi’s maiden international appearance last 47 seconds!
Even someone of Messi’s stature went through a series of heartbreaks. His journey with the national team saw him briefly retiring from Argentina duty in 2016 in wake of three defeats in three consecutive major finals
Messi stands shoulder to shoulder with fellow Argentine Diego Maradona and Brazil icon Pele as the greatest players of all time.
While the ending may not have been an ideal one, it surely was memorable. He played a key role in taking Argentina to another world cup final in 2026, but this time had to remain content with the runners-up medal.
Messi’s career is replete with milestones. He played 207 games for Argentina and finished as their all-time leading scorer with 125 goals – 21 of them in World Cups.
Lionel Messi at his peak was poetry in motion. In his farewell message, he wrote, “I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — along with my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of. Experiencing this with you was incredible. I love you all.”
Source link
[ad_3]
