Vidal retires from Chile duty after failed World Cup effort

Chile stalwart Arturo Vidal is calling time on his international career after his side failed to secure a berth in the 2018 World Cup.

"Thank you lads, for everything, for all these years together ... for teaching me and for showing a country that with effort and work anything is possible in life," Vidal wrote in Spanish on Twitter, as translated by Sky Sports' James Dale.

Vidal remarked that being eliminated from the World Cup was "soul destroying" after a 3-0 loss to Brazil in the final qualifying round, but added he and his teammates were proud of their work all the same.

The 30-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder amassed 98 international caps, scoring 23 goals and helping Chile win back-to-back Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016. He sits tied with Jean Beausejour for sixth-most caps in Chile's history, and is one of the stars of La Roja's golden generation alongside players like Claudio Bravo, Alexis Sanchez, and Gary Medel.

While Vidal's time with Chile was sometimes controversial - he crashed a Ferrari on the outskirts of Santiago, which saw his license suspended, and was reportedly involved in an incident with police inside a casino. But, he was also a crucial part of the team's recent successes, marshaling the midfield with the sort of performances that helped Chile twice reach the World Cup Round of 16.

For those efforts, the former Juventus man steps away from his post to much admiration from the country's supporters, and opens the door for 23-year-old Bologna upstart Erick Pulgar to vie for Chile's defensive midfield role.