Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 39, bringing an end to one of the most remarkable careers in Argentina’s history.
Messi, who captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup and the 2026 final, confirmed his decision on Monday.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner leaves the national team as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 125 goals in 207 appearances.
His international career was marked by years of disappointment before a dramatic turnaround. After losing the 2014 World Cup final and successive Copa America finals, Messi finally won his first major international trophy at the 2021 Copa America.
He then led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022 before adding another Copa America title in 2024.
Messi said the decision to retire had been painful but insisted he had always given everything for the national team.
“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deep down — but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all — not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” Messi wrote on Instagram.
He added: “I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — alongside my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of.”
Messi’s hopes of a fairytale farewell were ended by Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in this year’s World Cup final.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward, who now plays for Inter Miami, made his Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to establish himself as one of the defining figures in the country’s football history.
His success also helped him emerge from the shadow of Diego Maradona, Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning captain, and build a legacy of his own.
