A Spain legend Andres Iniesta announced his retirement from international football here on Sunday after their shocking loss to hosts Russia in the pre-quarterfinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

"It's a reality that today is my last match with the national team. At the individual level, a wonderful stage ends," the hero of Spain's only World Cup championship in 2010 told reporters at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, reports Efe. "It's a shame we couldn't go through. Penalties are cruel. The guilty ones are always the players and everyone of us is responsible," he added.