Finn Hatherell

🩵🤍 Full statement by Lionel Messi: “I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final… today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced of this decision than before”. “After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team. "It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment. "I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football. "There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give. "Also, there are great young players coming through who deserve to be here. "Thank you for all the love during these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you from the inside. Now I’ll be one of you, always supporting from the outside, in the good times and even more in the bad ones. "Thank you to my family for always being there and for being with me throughout this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to every coach, teammate and director I had the chance to share it with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments. "I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of. It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you! "Thank you God for making me Argentine. "Vamos Argentina!

Leo Messi’s letter to all Argentinians the night before the World Cup Final. 🩵🤍💌 “The most beautiful thing about all these years was 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲”. “Sharing day-to-day life with this group, competing together, picking ourselves up in the difficult moments, and 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩”. “Thanks to each one of my teammates, to the coaching staff, and to all the great people who work every day to keep this National Team as a 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲”. “Whatever happens tomorrow, this group has already written 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 and that no one will be able to erase”. “𝑽𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒔, 𝑨𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂”.