Football legend Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 39, bringing an extraordinary 21-year career with Argentina to an end.
Messi confirmed the decision on Monday, August 31, following Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in July. The Argentine captain said it was a painful decision but that he felt “the time has come.”
Messi leaves the international stage as Argentina’s most-capped player and all-time leading goalscorer, with an incredible 125 goals in 207 appearances.
His international career included years of heartbreak before ultimately delivering Argentina some of its greatest moments. Messi lifted the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, and famously captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022.
While his Argentina journey is officially over, Messi isn’t hanging up his boots completely. He will continue playing club football with Inter Miami, where his current contract runs until the end of the 2028 MLS season.
After more than two decades in the famous blue and white shirt, one of international football’s greatest chapters has officially come to a close.
