East Rutherford, NJ – Lionel Messi, following Argentina's loss to Chile in penalties at the Copa America Centenario Final, has decided to call it quits on his international career with La Albiceleste.
"The national team is over for me," Messi told reporters at the post-match mixed zone. "I'm taking this decision for me and for the many people who want this."
He added: "I've tried so hard but I'm leaving without managing it. It's been four finals. The national team is not for me. It's difficult at the moment to do any analysis [about my national team future].
The bombshell announcement has been a shock to his teammates as well. Striker Sergio Aguero said that he Messi didn't say anything about the abrupt announcement to his teammates.
"I've seen Leo like this before," Aguero stated. "He's not said anything to me."
Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero was quick to say that he believes Messi was just speaking at the heat of the moment and that it was not a serious declaration. Romero said that he thinks Messi has "not thought about it properly" and that he, personally, can "not imagine a national team without Messi."
Messi and Argentina have now lost four straight major tournament finals, including three over the past three summers alone.
"It's a great sadness that it happened again," said Messi. "The fact I missed a penalty kick that was important."
This possible retirement has capped off a terrible week for the Argentinian football federation. On Wednesday, Messi complained about the Argentina federation when the team's flight out of Houston was delayed. At a Friday hotel press conference, Messi unusually came out to say that the AFA just wants tranquility. The federation is currently run by FIFA after its president was charged with fraud.
Time will tell if Messi's last game in sky blue was indeed Sunday night's final. If it was, what a magnificent and yet incomplete career it has been for this generation's best player.
