Lionel Messi has officially retired from international football.
The Argentina captain announced his decision on Monday, August 31. His retirement ends one of the greatest international careers in football history.
The 39-year-old played for Argentina for more than 20 years and appeared in six FIFA World Cups.
Messi announced Argentina reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. However, Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time on July 19.
Messi could not end his international career with another World Cup trophy. Still, his career with Argentina remains one of the greatest in football history.
Messi said he thought carefully about the decision after the World Cup final.
“After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team,” Messi said via his Instagram post.
Lionel Messi: ‘There Isn’t Much Time Left’
View this post on Instagram
Messi said his age played an important role in his decision. He also understands that Argentina has a new generation of players who need chances with the national team.
Speaking about the later stage of his career, Messi said:
“There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end.”
Messi also admitted that leaving Argentina was not easy for him. His words showed how much the national team meant to him.
After representing Argentina for 21 years, Messi said:
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.”
Messi’s international journey began in 2005 when he made his senior debut for Argentina.
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From Disappointment to International Glory
Messi did not always enjoy success with Argentina. For many years, fans and critics blamed him when the team failed to win major trophies.
Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany. The team then lost the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals to Chile.
Those defeats became very difficult for Messi.
After Argentina lost the 2016 Copa América final to Chile on penalties, Messi announced his international retirement.
He had missed his penalty in the shootout. The defeat also marked his third straight loss in a major international final with Argentina.
However, Messi soon returned to the national team.
Fans across Argentina wanted him to continue. Messi also wanted another chance to win a major trophy with his country.
His return changed everything.
Argentina finally ended its 28-year wait for a major senior international trophy by winning the 2021 Copa América.
Messi played a key role in the tournament. He scored goals, provided assists and won the tournament’s best player award.
A year later, Messi achieved the biggest goal of his international career.
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World Cup Glory in 2022
Messi finally won the FIFA World Cup at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Argentina faced France in a thrilling final. The game ended 3-3 after extra time before Argentina won the penalty shootout.
Messi scored twice in the final.
He finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists.
Messi also won the Golden Ball. He became the first player to win the award twice.
In 2024, Messi won another major trophy with Argentina.
Argentina defeated Colombia in the Copa América final and won the tournament for the second time in four years.
This gave Messi his third major senior international title.
Lionel Messi Final World Cup and International Career
Messi played his sixth and final World Cup in 2026.
Argentina reached the final for the second straight tournament.
Messi again produced an excellent individual campaign. He scored eight goals and provided four assists.
During the tournament, Messi became the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer for a period. However, Kylian Mbappé later moved ahead of him.
Messi finished the 2026 World Cup with the Silver Boot as the tournament’s second-highest scorer.
He also won the Silver Ball as the tournament’s second-best player.
Argentina eventually lost the final 1-0 to Spain in extra time.
As a result, Messi did not get the perfect ending to his World Cup career.
Still, his overall World Cup record remains outstanding.
Across six World Cups, Messi scored 21 goals and provided 12 assists in 34 games.
Lionel Messi Argentina Record
Messi leaves Argentina as the country’s most-capped player and its leading goalscorer.
According to ESPN, he finished with:
- 207 appearances
- 125 goals
- 60 assists
- 185 direct goal contributions
- 3 major senior international titles (1 FIFA World Cup and 2 Copa America titles)
His three major trophies with Argentina were the 2021 Copa América, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa América.
Messi also became Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and the country’s most-capped player.
He thanked the fans who supported him during both good and difficult times.
Messi said he would now support Argentina from outside the team:
“Now I’ll be one of you, always supporting from the outside.”
Messi also thanked his family, coaches, teammates and directors who supported him during his long career with Argentina.
Looking back at his journey, Messi said:
“I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of.”
Messi also revealed that he had written the statement on July 21, only two days after the World Cup final.
He said events involving his father later made him even more certain about his decision.
A Final Tribute to Argentina’s No. 10
Messi’s international career was about much more than goals, trophies and records.
He went through difficult years with Argentina before finally reaching the top.
He suffered three straight major final defeats. He retired from international football once. He then returned and helped Argentina win the trophies its fans had waited many years to see.
Lionel Messi leaves Argentina after 21 years with the national team.
He won almost everything Argentina fans dreamed of seeing him win.
Messi may no longer wear the Argentina shirt, but his place in the country’s football history is secure.
The No. 10 leaves behind a huge legacy.
Fans will remember him not only for his 125 goals and 60 assists, but also for the unforgettable moments he created for generations of Argentine supporters.
“Vamos Argentina!”
What is your favourite Lionel Messi moment in international football? Let us know in the comments.
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