Messi leaves Argentina national team after two decades of glory and heartbreak

Lionel Messi used this video to say goodbye after 20 years with Argentina's national team. Two decades that transformed him from a young prodigy into a national icon. He also published a handwritten letter he says he wrote two days after losing the World Cup final to Spain. I have nothing else to give he said. In La Boca, a neighborhood in Buenos Aires, images of Messi are everywhere. Sebastián Luna says he will always be grateful. We are going to continue loving Messi not just for football but for his humility, for who he is. That's the most important thing about Messi. His international football is over but Messi will always be in our hearts. There's murals like this one everywhere in Buenos Aires. Lionel Messi is not only admired for his extraordinary talent but also for his commitment and determination to keep trying until he finally achieved his dream of winning for his country in the World Cup in 2022. Messi played six World Cups for Argentina and for years struggled with the constant criticism of failing to win. He was repeatedly compared to football legend Diego Maradona but that changed when Argentina won in Qatar. Now he's a national symbol that crosses the political and social divides. I saw Maradona, I saw many players, Kempes but Messi is the ultimate. I mean there's no comparison. At every level, at a football level, at a personal level and in the national team he gave everything. He could have retired from the national team after Qatar and well he continued. He played the last World Cup 39 years old as if he were a young kid. For Argentina's national team it's the beginning of a new era. For most Argentines Messi represents a collective source of happiness in a country that has endured years of economic and political challenges. The one man that makes all Argentines proud. Teresa Bo, Algeciras, Buenos Aires.