Buenos Aires, August 31, 2026: Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football after a remarkable 21-year career with Argentina, bringing the curtain down on an era that saw him transform from a much-criticised national team star into one of the greatest players in the country’s history.
The 39-year-old made the announcement on Monday, weeks after leading Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain. Messi said the decision was painful but that he believed the time had come 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 on Instagram.
“I swear I always gave everything, not just in the last few years when we won everything but before that too, and I always fought and gave my all for this shirt,” he added.
Messi leaves international football as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 207 caps and 125 goals. His final appearance came in the 2026 World Cup final against Spain.
Messi’s relationship with Argentina was marked by years of disappointment before he finally established an extraordinary winning legacy.
He suffered defeat in the 2014 World Cup final against Germany and lost successive Copa America finals, prompting intense criticism and even a brief international retirement in 2016.
His fortunes changed with Argentina’s Copa America triumph in 2021. A year later, Messi finally achieved his greatest ambition by leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, where they defeated France on penalties in the final.
He added another Copa America title in 2024 before captaining Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final, where Spain ended their hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the world title.
Messi made his senior Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to represent his country at six World Cups.
His international career ultimately produced one World Cup, two Copa America titles and a lasting place among Argentina’s greatest football figures. His success also helped him emerge from the shadow of Diego Maradona, whose legacy had long dominated discussions about Argentina’s greatest players.
“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — alongside my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of,” Messi said.
The decision also follows the death of his father, Jorge Messi, earlier this month. Messi had subsequently acknowledged that he had serious doubts about continuing to play football for much longer.
Messi said his decision was also influenced by the emergence of a new generation of Argentine players capable of carrying the national team forward.
His retirement closes one of the most remarkable chapters in international football, ending a career in which he endured years of criticism before delivering the major trophies Argentine supporters had long hoped to see.
Messi will, however, continue his club career with Inter Miami. His current contract with the Major League Soccer club runs through the 2028 season.
