Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing his remarkable 21-year career with Argentina to an end. The 39-year-old captain and Inter Miami forward made the announcement on Monday, Aug. 31, following Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Messi’s international journey began in 2005 and included painful defeats in the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals. He briefly retired from international football after the 2016 Copa América defeat before returning to lead Argentina to the 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima and, most importantly, the 2022 FIFA World Cup title.
Despite ending his final World Cup campaign with a defeat, Messi leaves behind an extraordinary international legacy. He holds the record for World Cup appearances with 34 matches and finished the tournament with 21 goals. His farewell also comes weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who played a major role in guiding his career.
Messi, however, is not retiring from football altogether. He remains with Inter Miami, where he scored four goals and provided an assist in a 7-1 victory over CF Montréal on Aug. 30. After more than two decades in Argentina colours, the iconic No. 10 leaves the national team as one of the country’s greatest-ever footballers.
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