Long-serving defender Craig Moore has announced his international retirement after the Socceroos' 3-0 World Cup qualifier win over Qatar.

Moore, who has played for more than a decade for his country and been a mainstay of two World Cup campaigns, told teammates after the match he would not be part of the rest of the 2010 World Cup qualifying road.

Moore, 32, played his 39th game for the Socceroos.

He starred in the Socceroos' 2006 World Cup finals campaign, scoring a penalty in the 2-2 draw with Croatia in Germany which helped Australia advance to the round of 16.

"That will be the last time for me," said the Queensland Roar defender who was the only A-League player picked in the starting XI by coach Pim Verbeek.

"It was a great way to finish it off.

"A job well done and I'm really pleased with the career I've had with the national side."

Moore said it was important for him to retire from the international scene on his own terms.

"I believe that I wouldn't be there for the 2010 campaign being back in Australia and I wish the other boys all the very best and I will be following their campaign and hope they have a fantastic one," he told FoxSports.

"Pim knows what I'm like and I'm pretty sure he knew my views on the situation as well.

"But it was fantastic to come back and play with the national team and a fantastic crowd."

Moore rated qualifying for the second round of the 2006 World Cup and scoring the penalty in the draw with Croatia in Germany as career highlights.

Australian captain Lucas Neill said Moore had waited until he was substituted late in the second half before telling his teammates that he had played his last international.

"He didn't tell us until he was going off, he said 'that'll do me'," Neill told reporters.

"I love playing with Craig.

"He has great experience and we seem to click with a nice little partnership.

"It will be a sorry loss and a big hole to fill."

And Neill did not rule out the possibility of Moore changing his mind.

"I think if the country calls on him again he'd find it hard to say 'no'," said Neill.

"So we'll keep putting pressure on him."

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