At 39, Argentine football legend Lionel Messi announced on Monday his retirement from international football after more than two decades of a passionate relationship with his national team, ending with a defeat in a World Cup final.

“Some time has passed since the final, and after thinking about it a great deal, I want to announce to all of you that I am retiring from the national team. It is a decision (...) that still hurts me deeply, but I understand that this is the moment,” the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who scored 125 goals in 207 appearances, wrote on his Instagram account.