​Lionel Messi, who captained Argentina to ‌World Cup victory in 2022 and the final in ​2026, said on Monday in a post on Instagram that he would be leaving ​Argentina’s national team.“It was a decision that hurt — ⁠and still hurts deep down — but ‌I ‌understand ​that the time has come. I swear to you that ⁠I always ​gave it my ​all — not just in these last ‌few years when we ​won everything, but before that too; ⁠I always fought ⁠and ​left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” the 39-year-old posted on Instagram.“I ‌leave with the ⁠peace of mind and pride of having given you — alongside my ‌teammates — moments we once only dreamed of,” ​he added.Messi won two Golden Balls as best player at a World Cup (2014 and 2022) and has the most assists in the history of the competition (12) and the second most goals (21).He is the all-time leading goalscorer for Argentina (125) and the most capped player (207). He won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics for Argentina and won the 2021 and 2024 Copa America tournaments.More to follow...