Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an extraordinary chapter of his career with Argentina to an end at the age of 39.
The Argentine superstar made the announcement on Monday, saying the decision had been painful but that he believed it was the right time to step away from the national team.
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul, but I understand that it is the right time,” Messi wrote in an Instagram post.
He also reflected on his commitment to Argentina throughout his career, saying he had always given everything for the national team shirt, including during the difficult years before the team’s recent successes.
Messi leaves as Argentina’s record holder
Messi departs as Argentina’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer. He made 207 appearances for his country and scored 125 goals, establishing records that underline his extraordinary longevity at international level.
His relationship with the Argentina team was not always easy. For years, Messi faced intense criticism after a series of painful defeats in major tournaments.
Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and subsequently suffered defeats in consecutive Copa America finals. Those setbacks led Messi to announce his international retirement in 2016, although he later returned to the national side.
His fortunes eventually changed dramatically.
From disappointment to World Cup glory
Messi won his first major international trophy with Argentina at the 2021 Copa America, ending a long wait for silverware with the senior national team.
A year later, he reached the pinnacle of international football by captaining Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Lionel Messi Reflects on What Could Be His Final FIFA World Cup
The triumph was particularly significant because it placed Messi alongside some of the country’s greatest football icons. After years of being compared with Diego Maradona, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, Messi finally secured the game’s biggest prize and strengthened his own legacy.
He added another major international title in 2024 when Argentina won the Copa America.
World Cup defeat ends hopes of fairytale farewell
Messi entered his sixth World Cup campaign hoping to finish his international career with another title.
Argentina reached the final again, but a 1-0 defeat to Spain denied him the perfect farewell.
Despite the loss, Messi’s status among football’s greatest players had already been firmly established. His international career included World Cup glory, two Copa America titles and an extraordinary collection of individual records.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also transformed what had once been a complicated relationship with Argentina supporters into a story of redemption and success.
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Messi’s football career continues
Although Messi is stepping away from international football, his professional club career is not over.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward currently plays for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, where his contract runs through the end of the 2028 season.
His decision also comes after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, in August. The footballer had previously acknowledged having serious doubts about whether he would continue playing football for much longer.
For Argentina, however, Messi’s departure marks the end of an era. From his international debut in 2005 to his final World Cup appearance, he became the central figure of one of the country’s most remarkable football stories — one that ultimately delivered the trophies that had eluded him for so many years.
