Lionel Messi, 39, announced Monday that he is retiring from Argentina’s national team with immediate effect. Messi posted handwritten pages on Instagram and wrote "There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot." Messi said he first considered retiring two days after Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain, which was his last appearance for the national team and his sixth World Cup. He delayed publishing the letter because his father was facing health issues that later claimed his life. Several reports note Messi is still expected to continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. The announcement closes a more than two-decade international career that included winning the 2022 World Cup.
