Higuain ends factitious relationship with Argentina

Higuain ends his international career: Five key things to know…

1.Higuain is one of just three foreign-born players to have played for Argentina, having also been eligible for France.

2.The striker scored twice on his debut during a 5-0 win over Guatemala in 2008.

3.The 31-year-old went on to earn 75 senior caps, scoring 31 goals.

4.But his international career was marked by a number of high profile misses, including in the 2014 World Cup final defeat to Germany.

5.Higuain has cited family reasons for retiring, also suggested fans would be ‘delighted’ by his decision.

Higuain made a high profile miss during Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final and it is for these moments that he will most likely be remembered by his compatriots, reflected in his statement where he suggested ‘many’ will delight in his retirement.

Explaining his decision in an interview with Sports radio, Higuain said: “My time with Argentina is over. Thinking things through in depth, my time is up.

Gonzalo Higuain announced his retirement from international football with Argentina, due to “family reasons.” 

“To the delight of many, now I will only look at it from the outside. I have spoken to (manager Lionel) Scaloni and told him my point of view.

“I’ve made the decision because I want to enjoy my family, I want to spend time with my daughter, and at the same time, I feel that I gave my country everything I could.”

Higuain has been on loan with Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea since January but has managed just three goals in 10 games so far.