Lionel Messi has retired from international football at 39, ending a remarkable 21-year career with Argentina just weeks after leading the team to the 2026 World Cup final. He leaves as the nation’s record appearance holder and top scorer.
Messi announced his retirement on Monday, saying the decision “hurts deeply” but that he understood the time had come to close the chapter.
His final appearance for Argentina came in the World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19, when Spain defeated the defending champions 1-0 in extra time through Ferran Torres’ goal.
Messi said he had written his retirement message two days after the final but delayed making it public while his father, Jorge Messi, was facing serious health problems. His father died on August 8.
Messi made his senior Argentina debut at 18 in 2005, beginning a national-team career that lasted more than two decades.
He went on to win 207 caps and score 125 goals, making him Argentina’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer. He also scored 21 World Cup goals.
He appeared at a record-tying six World Cups, reaching the final three times in 2014, 2022 and 2026.
For years, Messi’s Argentina career was defined as much by disappointment as brilliance.
After losing the 2016 Copa America final to Chile, he briefly retired from international football. A public campaign led by supporters and prominent figures persuaded him to return.
The comeback transformed his international legacy.
Messi helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2024 Copa America before guiding his country to another World Cup final in 2026.
His 2022 triumph, in particular, ended years of criticism over his ability to deliver on football’s biggest international stage and cemented his standing among the sport’s greatest players.
Messi leaves international football with eight world player-of-the-year awards and a collection of major titles that includes the World Cup and two Copa America trophies.
He also stands alongside Diego Maradona and Pelé in discussions over football’s greatest players, with many considering him the best ever.
His longtime Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul praised Messi’s leadership and resilience, while Leandro Paredes and Cristian Romero thanked their captain for his impact on the team and the country.
The Argentine Football Association also paid tribute, thanking Messi for representing the nation and turning dreams into reality.
Messi’s international retirement does not mark the end of his playing career.
He remains with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where he continues to perform at the highest level. Just a day before announcing his retirement, he scored four goals in a 7-1 victory over CF Montreal.
But his decision closes one of football’s most extraordinary international chapters — a journey that began with an 18-year-old substitute sent off after two minutes and ended with a 39-year-old captain walking away as a world champion and an Argentine legend.
