Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from the Argentina national team, ending a distinguished international career that spanned more than two decades.
The 39-year-old made the decision two days after Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the World Cup final on 19 July, though he waited before confirming it publicly. Messi had aimed to guide Argentina to consecutive World Cup titles following their 2022 triumph but fell short against Spain.
In an Instagram post, Messi wrote: “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 added: “It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep down but I understand that the time has come.”
Messi earned 207 caps for Argentina, the second-highest total by any men’s international player, and scored 125 goals. He captained the side to the 2022 World Cup title, won the Golden Ball at the 2014 tournament, and reached three World Cup finals during his career. In the most recent tournament he finished as the second-highest goalscorer in World Cup history, behind only Kylian Mbappé; both players surpassed Miroslav Klose’s previous record.
The announcement came after the death of Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, in August at the age of 68 following a long illness. Messi had resumed club duties with Inter Miami after the World Cup before his father’s passing.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and former Barcelona star continues to play in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. On Saturday he scored four goals in a 7-1 victory over Montreal.
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