Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani has retired from international football just three weeks before the Copa America begins.

Cavani, a Uruguay mainstay for the past 16 years, had been selected by Marcelo Bielsa to play in the tournament, which starts on June 20 in the United States.

‘I decided to step aside, but I will follow you with my beating heart forever in the same way that I used to do when I got to play with this beautiful shirt,’ the Boca Juniors striker, 37, said in an Instagram post.

Cavani scored 58 goals in 136 matches for Uruguay.

‘I want to dedicate my time to this new stage of my career and give everything wherever I go,’ the former Manchester United star said.

Cavani also played for Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain and Valencia.

He played at the past four World Cups. His last match with the national team was in Uruguay’s 2-0 victory over Ghana in the group stages of the 2022 World Cup.

Cavani was part of the team that came fourth at the 2010 World Cup, where they lost to Germany 3-2 in the third-place play-off.