We will never see Lionel Messi in an Argentina shirt again.

Let that sink in. The best footballer in the world (sorry CR7), some would argue the greatest of all time, a five-time Fifa Ballon d'Or winner, never to play again on the international stage. No Lionel Messi at the World Cup. No Lionel Messi at another Copa America.

He is only 29, but he will end his Argentina career with the pitiful statistic of four second-place finishes at four major tournaments. And with the pain of knowing that for all his titles with Barcelona, he was not able to end Argentina's title jinx, which goes back to 1993.

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The irony is that Messi wouldn't have had a better chance to make it right. Argentina were in primal form before the Copa America final on Sunday against Chile and Messi was in a different zone.

But in a physical final, Chile kept La Pulga at bay. One hundred and twenty minutes saw two red cards, a lot of tackles and even Messi getting a yellow card for diving.

It came down to the penalty shootout. Argentina had the advantage handed to them after Arturo Vidal's first shot was saved by a lunging Sergio Romero. Messi stepped up. Time to take Argentina to the title. He stepped up and shot. Over the bar. Into the stands. Messi covered his face with his shirt.

A few minutes later, he was not able to control his tears. Argentina couldn't put their third penalty in, but Chile did. They won 4-2 and celebrated. Messi watched and cried. Another title gone. So close and yet so far.

And then he announced it.

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"For me the national team is over. I've done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion."

He will end as Argentina's highest goal-scorer with 55 career goals. And there were some fine goals there too. Here is the one which took him past Gabriel Batistuta just a few days ago against USA in the semi-finals.

That hat-trick in less than half an hour after being brought on as a second-half substitute against Panama in the group stages:

All those goals in the 2014 World Cup where he was awarded the Golden Boot after Argentina succumbed in the finals once again.

We'll see him again in the Barcelona shirt, linking up with Neymar and Luis Suarez at the glorious Nou Camp. But if he sticks to his decision, his time with Argentina is over. It's the end of an era. His era. Will watching Argentina ever be the same again?