Messi retires from Argentina duty after two decades

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to an illustrious Argentina career that saw him become the country’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer. 

The 39-year-old confirmed his decision after Argentina’s defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, saying the time had come to step away from the national team.

Messi, who made his Argentina debut in 2005, leaves international football with 125 goals in 207 appearances. 

He captained the country to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022 and also helped Argentina win two Copa America titles, cementing his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

In his retirement message, Messi said the decision had been painful but that he had given everything he could to the national team. 

He also pointed to the emergence of a younger generation of Argentine players who now deserve an opportunity to establish themselves. 

Messi revealed that he had written the message on 21 July, shortly after the World Cup final defeat.

The forward’s decision was also influenced by the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died earlier in August at the age of 68 following a long illness. 

Messi said the loss had strengthened his conviction that it was time to close the international chapter of his career, although he will continue playing at club level with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

Messi finishes his Argentina career among the most decorated and statistically outstanding players in international football. 

He scored 21 World Cup goals, making him the second-highest scorer in the competition’s history, while his 125 international goals place him second among all men’s international scorers behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. At the 2026 World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists.

The Argentine superstar had previously announced his international retirement in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile, but later reversed the decision. 

This time, however, Messi says he is ready to watch from the sidelines, thanking supporters for their love and describing his journey with Argentina as an experience filled with moments he and his team-mates once only dreamed of.