Vidal backtracks on retirement hints with statement of togetherness

Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal is not retiring as reported earlier, despite hinting at that decision in the evening after his side was eliminated from a 2018 World Cup berth by way of a 3-0 loss to Brazil.

Vidal tweeted Wednesday to seemingly clarify his earlier comments regarding his international future, penning a statement of togetherness and hope for himself and Chile. However, he did not specifically address those previous comments in his follow-up note.

Earlier, Vidal called the World Cup ousting "soul destroying," but his latest statement called for renewed effort and "revenge" following the team's disappointment.

Vidal added he is "not abandoning" Chile, expressing his sadness that Chile failed to qualify for the World Cup and insisting that doesn't represent the end of anything - the generation, the team, or its dreams.

The 30-year-old Bayern Munich man is joint-sixth in Chile's all-time appearance leaders, having amassed 98 international caps over the years. In that time, he has scored 23 goals, reached the World Cup Round of 16 on two occasions, and won back-to-back Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016.

However, his time with Chile was also controversial: He lost his driver's license after crashing a Ferrari on the outskirts of Santiago, and was reportedly involved in an incident with police inside a casino.