(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)
Lionel Messi has said that he is to retire from international soccer after Argentina were beaten 4-2 by Chile in a penalty shootout in the Copa America final on Sunday, the fourth final the Barcelona striker has lost with the national side. Messi, a five times World Player of the Year, missed Argentina''s opening penalty in the shootout after the game ended 0-0 and he was shown in tears while sitting in the team dugout. "It''s tough, it''s not the time for analysis. In the dressing room I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it''s not for me. "That''s the way I feel right now, it''s a huge sadness once again and I missed the penalty that was so important. "I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. But it didn''t happen. I couldn''t do it." The decision by the 29-year-old, who surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as his country''s highest goalscorer last week, came as a shock to his team mates, who said they hoped his decision was not irrevocable. Also see: The best pictures of the Argentina captain Watch: Top goals by the soccer legend Soon after the devasted superstar announced his retirement to a TV channel, netizens took to Twitter to express their anger, grief, and many otherssmiled through it. How is Cristiano Ronaldo reacting? Messi and Argentina lose their 3rd straight final.. pic.twitter.com/4p7aPTGhQd - Football Funnys (FootballFunnys) June 27, 2016 Dear Messi,
This is Shahid Afridi.
He retires every year.
Comes out of every retirement.
Be like Shahid Afridi. pic.twitter.com/rQHOVeWZrD - SHERLOCKED (Legen_dary___) June 27, 2016 Messi fraud tweets on my timeline. pic.twitter.com/sjzvqKfFhx - Tim (CookPassTim) June 27, 2016 Messi quitting at 29 when he has so much more potential pic.twitter.com/zX8LWqKbQF - ? (artdecogaga) June 27, 2016 Dont know why Messi is retiring just because he lost 4 finals. Klopp lost his 5th final in a row and still smiled like a child at Disneyland - Hayley B (Hayles_101) June 27, 2016 Son: Look dad it''s a shooting star.
Dad: No son, it''s Messi''s penalty pic.twitter.com/DKOHTSPAKs - HassJaber (HassanJaber99) June 27, 2016 Reporter: "Will you reconsider your decision?"
Messi: "No. I''m Not Shahid Afridi." ;)#LionelMessi - Sir Ravindra Jadeja (SirJadeja) June 27, 2016 This Messi video is unmissable, yet actually hard to watch: https://t.co/7CPOsAipK7 pic.twitter.com/v0WmQa5LNu - Eurosport UK (Eurosport_UK) June 27, 2016 Messi crying makes me wanna cry. - FaZe ZooMaa (ZooMaa) June 27, 2016 Sums up everything #Messi pic.twitter.com/Wfhpd6a6wl - UD (Keyb0ardMujahid) June 27, 2016 I think #Messi s decision is an emotional one.He is a field guy n he will come back. Even if he is a man of few words, his eyes says it all! - Neetu Chandra (Neetu_Chandra) June 27, 2016 Messi:
644 games
508 GOALS
261 ASSISTS
28 TROPHIES
39 HATTRICKS
5 Ballon d''Or
3 GOLDEN BOOT
Just turned 29
THE BEST pic.twitter.com/7IeFKx1iIz - Leo Messi (messi10stats) June 27, 2016
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