Argentina superstar Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on Monday, 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.
"It was a decision that hurt - and still hurts deeply - but I understand that the time has come," the 39-year-old Messi said on his Instagram account.
