DaMarcus Beasley Announces Retirement from United States National Soccer Team

Houston Dynamo winger and longtime contributor to the United States men's national team DaMarcus Beasley announced his retirement from international football Monday in a heartfelt message he spread via Instagram.

Expressing thanks to his fans, coaches and teammates, Beasley ended a career with the senior squad that lasted 14 years and spanned four World Cups in the process. He provided this message with the accompanying image:

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Where do I start? Honestly I never thought this day would come, representing my country has been the greatest thing I've done in my career. Everytime I've pulled on OUR colors I tried to represent myself, my family and my country with the utmost respect.(and obviously tried to win) With that being said, I have officially retired from the U.S. Nat'l team. I've been blessed to be apart of the ussf family for 17yrs. I have so many memories from when I started with the U-15 nat'l team all the way to the men's team. I've met so many great ppl along the way I wouldn't know where to start. To all my coaches and teammates, I just want to say thank you, thank you for making me the player I am and the man I will be in the future. I will never forget all the games, friendships, memories we all shared. One thing I hope you all will say about me is that I was a good teammate and ALWAYS left everything on the field when I played. And lastly I want to thank ALL the fans that have supported me and the U.S. Team, without you guys we wouldn't be where we are today! Thank you all!!!

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NBC Sports' Joe Prince-Wright shared his final career statistics, thanking Beasley for his service:

Beasley is still the only American to play in four World Cups, and his 121 caps rank in the top five of all time, according to the national team's official website.  

ESPN Stats & Info added some more numbers, highlighting Beasley's incredible contributions over the course of his career:

The Salt Lake Tribune's Chris Kamrani shared this incredible photo from 1999, featuring Beasley and other notable USMNT players:

At the age of 32, Beasley still has the athleticism to be a productive winger on the MLS level. But with the next World Cup scheduled to take place in 2018, it's unlikely the veteran would have received another call-up.

With the decision, Beasley will now have the chance to focus solely on his MLS career with Houston, likely lengthening his playing career in the process.