Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, closing out a 21-year career with Argentina that began in 2005 and included the country’s long-awaited 2022 World Cup triumph.
The 39-year-old Inter Miami forward made the announcement on Monday, more than a month after Argentina’s heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, played in New Jersey on July 19. Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th minute as Spain lifted their second World Cup title.
Messi had initially left his international future undecided after the final, focusing his immediate reaction on the pain of the loss rather than his next steps.
In his retirement statement, Messi said the decision had been difficult but that the time had come. “After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the National Team,” he said, adding that he had “always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey.”
The announcement carries added weight following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, earlier in August at age 68. Jorge had managed his son’s career from his early days in Rosario through to global stardom. Messi revealed that the statement was originally drafted on July 21 — two days after the final — but that his father’s passing left him even more certain of the decision.
The World Cup final itself added to Messi’s remarkable résumé. FIFA confirmed he extended his record for World Cup appearances to 34 matches, and at 39 years and 25 days, he became the oldest outfield player to ever feature in a World Cup final. He finished the tournament with 21 career World Cup goals, second only to Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list.
Messi’s international journey was far from smooth. Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and suffered back-to-back Copa América final defeats in 2015 and 2016 — a run so painful that Messi briefly retired from the national team after the 2016 Copa América loss to Chile, before reversing the decision two months later.
That second chapter transformed his standing with Argentine fans, delivering the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, and finally the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The 2026 campaign added another chapter — Argentina went unbeaten through 13 straight World Cup matches before Spain’s control in the final denied them back-to-back titles.
A notable moment after the final saw Spain’s 19-year-old star Lamine Yamal embrace Messi on the pitch — a symbolic passing of the torch between football generations.
Messi’s international retirement does not mark the end of his playing career. He remains an Inter Miami player and is still in scintillating club form — on August 30, he scored four goals and added an assist in Inter Miami’s 7-1 win over CF Montréal, taking his MLS tally for the season to 18 goals.
In his farewell message, Messi thanked his family, coaches, teammates and Argentina’s fans. “I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you, alongside my teammates, moments we once only dreamed of,” he said, closing with: “I love you. Thank you, God, for making me Argentine. Let’s go, Argentina!”
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