Iniesta pens farewell letter to the Spanish national team World Cup 2018 Said goodbye to La Roja

Spain's elimination against Russia was the last international match for Andres Iniesta, who said his goodbye to the fans through a letter posted on social media.

A month after having departed Barcelona, the former Blaugrana captain has also bid farewell to La Roja on Tuesday.

"Hello everyone, 14 years ago I wore the shirt of the national team for the first time, I was 15 years old and I will never forget that moment," he wrote.

"It was the dream of my life to be able to defend the colours of my country. It is something very special, not only a dream, but also a great responsibility.

"During all these years I have tried to be aware of what it means and to give my best so that you feel proud."

The 34-year-old midfielder went on to reflect on his international career.

"I think I've been lucky to live one of the best phases of Spanish football, with a generation of players who have been and are exceptional in every way," he added.

"We have achieved great success, things that we all dreamed of when we were young, but we have also had great disappointments and we have experienced very difficult moments.

"To everyone, thank you very much for making me a better teammate and better soccer player. It has been my pride to be able to share with all of you all these years."

Iniesta has also praised Spain's current squad, despite their recent failure in Russia.

"Now is the time to step aside and it hasn't been an easy decision, on the contrary, I have been thinking about it for many months," he noted.

"The future is exciting, with a group of players who are incredible and who from now on will have me as a fan more supporting them unconditionally.

"I have no doubt that what is ahead will be wonderful and that great successes will be reaped, as the group there is impressive."

Finally, he couldn't but thank everyone that he collaborated with in the Spanish national team, from the presidents to each and every coach he played under in the selection.