Argentine football legend Lionel Messi announced on Monday that he is retiring from international football after a 21-year career with the national team, saying the decision was painful.
“After much thought, I want to tell you all that I am retiring from the national team,” Messi said in a message posted on his social media accounts.
The Argentina captain added that the decision “was painful and still hurts deeply,” but said he understood that it was the right time to step away.
Messi revealed that he had written the message on July 21, two days after Argentina lost to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, but decided not to publish it at the time.
He also said the subsequent death of his father, Jorge, reinforced his decision to retire.
Messi said he had given everything he had “for the national team shirt and to make the fans happy,” adding that he had nothing more to give and that it was time to give younger players the opportunity to represent the country.
He thanked Argentina’s fans for their support throughout his career and expressed gratitude to his family, coaches, teammates and officials who accompanied him during his journey. He said he would continue to support and cheer for the national team from the outside.
The 39-year-old Messi made 207 appearances for Argentina and scored 125 goals after making his international debut in 2005. He is the national team’s all-time leading scorer and its most-capped player.
Messi led Argentina to three consecutive major titles: the Copa America in 2021, the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America, ending a long wait for major international success.
At the 2026 World Cup, Messi guided Argentina to the final, where the defending champions lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute as Spain secured its second World Cup title.
Messi delivered a standout performance at the tournament, scoring eight goals to take his World Cup tally to 21. He also became the first player to score in five consecutive editions of the World Cup. Only France’s Kylian Mbappe, with 22 goals, has scored more in the competition.
Messi leaves an extraordinary mark on Argentine football. After losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany, he went on to win the 2021 Copa America, lead Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title — ending a 36-year wait for the trophy — and add another Copa America title in 2024.
He won the World Cup Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player in 2014 and again in 2022. He also has a record eight Ballon d’Or awards as the world’s best player.
His retirement comes after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died on August 8 at the age of 68. Jorge played a key role in supporting his son during the early and defining stages of his football career, from his beginnings to the top of the global game.
With his international retirement, Messi closes a chapter spanning more than two decades with Argentina, leaving behind a historic legacy that includes a World Cup, two Copa America titles, an Olympic gold medal and a collection of international records that will be difficult to match.
Source: News Agencies
