Argentina superstar Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on Monday,ending 21 years of national-team duty that were capped by winning the World Cup in 2022 to secure his place in the pantheon of the game's greatest ever players.

“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,” the 39-year-old Messi said on his Instagram account.

Messi,who will continue to play at club level with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer,played in a record-tying six World Cups. He won it four years ago in a tournament he dominated in Qatar and also led Argentina to the title match in 2014 and again this year,when the Albiceleste lost to Spain in extra time in New Jersey.

Messi stands shoulder to shoulder with Diego Maradona,a compatriot with whom he was so often compared,and Brazil icon Pelé as the greatest players of all time.

“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," Messi wrote. "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.”

Messi played 207 games for Argentina and finishes as its all-time leading scorer with 125 goals,21 of them in World Cups. Only one player has more goals in men's internationals — his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo,who has 146 and has yet to announce his retirement from Portugal duty.

Messi became the all-time leading World Cup scorer for a month in the recent tournament in the U.S.,Mexico and Canada,but finished one goal behind France’s Kylian Mbappé.

In a long social-media post,Messi explained he wrote his retirement letter on July 21 — two days after the World Cup final in which he struggled to make an impact — but waited to publish it because his father was facing health issues that eventually claimed his life.

Jorge Messi died on Aug. 8 in his native Rosario.

Rocky start

Two months after Messi starred at the 2005 world under-20 championship,scoring both of Argentina's goals in the final triumph,he was given his senior Argentina debut at 18. His first appearance lasted only two minutes; the substitute was sent off against Hungary in Budapest.

His journey with the national team was fraught with more frustration — he briefly retired from Argentina duty in 2016 after three defeats in three consecutive major finals — until he finally lifted the World Cup four years ago,either side of also winning Copa America titles in 2021 and '24.

“Thank you for all the love these past 20 years," he said. "I’m going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much. Now I’m going to be one of you,cheering and supporting you from the outside (through thick and thin,even more so).”

In the letter,Messi did not say how long he intends to continue playing. The recent World Cup showed he's still one of the best players in the world,as did a four-goal display for Inter Miami at the weekend in a 7-1 victory over CF Montreal.

“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — along with my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of. Experiencing this with you was incredible. I love you all,” he added.

Messi's stellar recent success with Argentina nearly didn’t happen.

A decade ago he retired from the national team following Argentina's defeat in the 2016 Copa Amercia final to Chile on penalty kicks — one of which he missed.

A public campaign led by Maradona and the president changed his mind and Messi shook off the notion of not being able to win the big matches,returning to the Argentina team and continuing to star for Barcelona,then Paris Saint-Germain,then Inter Miami.

He’s the two-time MVP in MLS,the star of the league champion and someone who still creates goals in the biggest moments.

He's also a record eight-time world player of the year.