Lionel Messi drew a sorry picture after Argentina lost to Chile in the penalty shootout of the Copa America final in the US. The Barcelona forward, surprisingly, missed Argentina's first spotkick. However, there was more shock in store for fans as the player decided to retire from international football after the heartbreaking loss.
No one saw that coming, after the Barcelona superstar decided to call it quits just three days after turning 29. Most players consider this age to be the right time to hit their peak, but Messi has other plans. This decision is a huge setback for Argentina, with the FIFA World Cup to take shape in two years' time.
Shahid Afridi got trolled after Messi's retirement
Though it is too early for Messi to hang his boots, he has played 112 matches for Argentina, scoring 55 goals, which also helped him overtake Gabriel Batitusta as the nation's all-time top goalscorer. The forward looked menacing in the recently concluded Copa America, as he found the back of the net five times.
Messi will still continue to represent his club Barcelona in the La Liga, but it will be painful for the Argentinean football fans to see a team without their talismanic leader on the pitch.
Messi becomes the second high-profile player to have hung up his boots from international football of late. Sweden striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, also retired after his team exited Euro 2016 last week.
Here are some interesting tweets regarding Messi's retirement.
