Andres Iniesta says he spent “many months” thinking about his international future being opting to quit Spain duty after the World Cup.
Iniesta confirmed his international retirement after Spain’s shock last-16 exit at the hands of hosts Russia on penalties.
The former Barcelona captain, 34, will now turn his focus to the next chapter in his career at Japanese club Vissel Kobe.
And in a lengthy social media post on Tuesday, Iniesta explained how he came to the decision to stop playing for Spain.
“It’s something very special, not just a dream, but also a great responsibility. Throughout all these years I’ve tried to be conscious of what that means and to give the maximum to make you all proud.
“I believe I’ve been lucky to be able to live one of the best eras of Spanish football, with a generation of players who have been and are exceptional in every sense. We’ve achieved great success, things that we all dreamed of when we were small, but also we’ve had great disappointments and we’ve lived very difficult moments.
“To everyone, thank you very much for making me a better team-mate and better footballer. I’ve been proud to be able to share all these years with you.
“Now is the moment to take a step to the side. It’s not been an easy decision, on the contrary, I spent many months thinking about it. The excitement to continue is total, but I’ve always said that I would finish doing the best for the national team.
“The future is thrilling, with a group of players who are amazing and who will have me as a fan from now on, supporting them unconditionally. I don’t have any doubt that what’s coming will be fantastic and that they’ll reap great success. The group has to be excited.”