Lionel Messi retires: How Twitter reacted to Argentina forward's decision to end international career

The player regarded by many as the greatest of all time has suffered three major tournament final defeats in three years

Messi was visibily upset by Argentina's defeat (Getty)

Lionel Messi appears to have retired from international football at the age of 29 and nobody can quite believe it.

The Argentina forward suffered fresh heartbreak while representing his country on Sunday night with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Chile in the Copa America final.

Messi himself missed a spot-kick, blazing high over the bar in the shoot-out which saw Chile win 4-2 after a 120 goalless minutes of regulation play.

The Barcelona forward, regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all-time, was visibly upset by Argentina’s third major tournament final defeat in three years and announced his retirement to journalists after the game.

"For me the national team is over. I've done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,” he said. "I don't think I will (return). I made up my mind. I did everything possible to win and it's done.”

Messi’s announcement took the world by surprise.

Here’s how social media reacted…

Messi captained his side to the 2014 World Cup final, which ended in a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Germany, and also lost the 2015 Copa America final to Chile.

At 29-years-old, he was expected to at least compete at the next World Cup – to be held by Russia in 2018.

However, questions may now be asked regarding Messi's standing in the pantheon of football’s greatest players.

Pele and Diego Maradona, the two other players widely regarded as the greatest of all time, both won the World Cup with their Brazil and Argentina respectively.