The Euro and Copa America have witnessed instances where players, facing elimination, have announced their retirement from national team duty. In some cases, these retirements have extended to the entirety of their professional football careers. With the games of yesterday, the likes of Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria and Oliver Giroud have something to say about their retirements.

Argentina has been the most successful team in the ongoing Copa America and have booked a place in the final with goals from J. Alveres in the 22nd minute and L. Messi in the 51st minute to seal up the win against Canada and book a place in the final. It’s bittersweet to hear that Messi and Di Maria are nearing the end of their international careers. Their contributions to Argentina have been monumental, and their presence on the pitch will be surely missed. Messi’s statement about enjoying every moment is a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of time, especially in the world of professional sports. It’s a testament to his maturity and his understanding of the inevitable end of his journey with the national team. While it’s sad to see these legends step back, it’s also a chance to celebrate their incredible achievements. They’ve inspired a generation of players and fans, and their legacy will live on long after they hang up their boots. It’s a new chapter for Argentina, and it will be exciting to see how the team evolves without these two iconic figures. But for now, let’s savor the moments we have left with Messi and Di Maria, and appreciate the incredible impact they’ve had on the beautiful game. However, while Messi was not specific with the term of his involvement with the national team, Di Maria made it clear that this will be his last involvement with the Argentina national team and he will be looking forward to wrap it up with a trophy after such an amazing run he has had.

With the end of the final whistle in the Euro semi-final, the exit of France was confirmed. They opened the scoring with a goal from Kolo Muani assisted by Mbappe in the 9th minute. Things turned around quite fast as the awesome strike from Yamal leveled for Spain before the goal by Olmo to give Spain the lead in the 25th minute. With exit of France in the Euros, Oliver Giroud officially retired from international football for France. The striker has had such an amazing involvement with the French national team and he has achieved a lot. Oliver Giroud made 131 appearances for France and was instrumental in their World Cup victory in 2018. He is the leading goal scorer with 57goals after overtaking Henry in the 2022 World Cup. With a bow out of the national team at 37, the striker has a lot of electrifying moments with the team which he should be very proud of. The national team will miss his impact. He is a legend of the game, and will be surely missed.

Thiago Alacantara after leaving Liverpool has decided to retire from professional football. The 33year old Spanish midfielder after an injury fisted season decides to take a bow from professional football. He started his prolific career at Barcelona and reached his peak in Bayern Munich where he was pivotal to their Champions League win in the 2020. He won the German League 7times, Champions League twice, La Liga with Barcelona four times and FA Cup with Liverpool in 2021-22 season. Thiago gave his all for this game and will be fondly remembered for his dedication to this beautiful game of football. Happy retirement champs!!!