BREAKING NEWS: LIONEL MESSI RETIRES FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL.
Lionel Messi announced today that he was retiring from international football after leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final in July. The 39-year-old forward won the World Cup in 2022. He also carried Argentina to the final in the United States, only to lose to Spain. Messi said the decision had been painful.
“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.”
Messi made the news official on Monday via his Instagram account. Messi originally wrote his goodbye letter on 21 July, two days after Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Following the death of his father, Jorge, on 8 August, the 39-year-old decided to share the news with the world.
Messi steps away from the international stage with an astounding list of achievements. In 34 World Cup matches, he scored 21 goals and boasts a slew of various World Cup records, including most victories by an individual player and oldest player to score a hat-trick.
The Argentinian ace helped his country reach three finals at the global showpiece, narrowly falling to Germany 1-0 at Brazil 2014 before triumphing in epic fashion at Qatar 2022, followed by this year’s loss to Spain.
🚨🇦🇷 BREAKING NEWS: LIONEL MESSI RETIRES FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL.
Messi will not play for Argentina national team anymore. pic.twitter.com/KaiZ5Pwrw9
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 31, 2026
Messi and Inter Miami, a Major League Soccer team, have a contract that expires at the end of the 2028 campaign. With 207 appearances for Argentina, he leads the team in goals scored (125). Over his 21-year international career, Messi also took home two Copa América titles.
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