"My chance passed. I had my possibility and I couldn't take advantage of it. When the team needed goals I couldn't provide them," Tevez said.
"So it's logical that other lads should be in front of me," he added of players like Gonzalo Higuain, now coach Diego Maradona's first choice as central striker.
Tevez, speaking to Argentine reporters in Madrid where Maradona's team face Spain in a friendly on Saturday, said retirement had crossed his mind.
"It's complicated, there's my family, the desire to return to Boca Juniors, but I think about it. It crosses my mind to hang up my boots if we win the World Cup, although I have a contract (with Manchester City) until 2014," he said.
"I'm a bit tired of so much football, so much football. I want to enjoy my family a bit. I'm very keen to stop and get a bit of calm. I've already won a lot. Living for football has saturated me."
Tevez has been very successful already, being voted South American footballer of the year three times in a row, winning the Libertadores Cup and the world club title with Boca in 2003, the Brazilian league title with Corinthians in 2005 and an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in 2004.
In England, he helped West Ham avoid relegation in 2007 and Manchester United lift two Premier League titles and be crowned European and world club champions last year.
Tevez, who last month said he sometimes wanted to quit the national team, added that he got fed up with criticism of Maradona's side as they struggled in the World Cup qualifiers.
"We were criticised a lot, sometimes rightly so, but to have people say we didn't play well because of the money or we don't love the (Argentina) shirt, don't sing the national anthem, there's a lot of ill will," Tevez said.
