Lionel Messi has brought his remarkable international career with Argentina to a close, ending more than two decades of representing his country after a final appearance in the 2026 World Cup final.
The 39-year-old announced the decision on Monday, August 31, through a statement posted on Instagram. Messi said he had thought carefully about his future before deciding that the time had come to leave the national team.
“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deep down — but I understand that the time has come.”
Messi leaves Argentina as the country’s record appearance holder, with 207 international matches and 125 goals. He made his senior debut in 2005 and went on to become the central figure of one of the most successful periods in the national team’s history.
His greatest achievement came at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Argentina defeated France on penalties in the final and Messi finally lifted football’s biggest international trophy. He had previously endured disappointment in the 2014 World Cup final before eventually achieving the prize that had eluded him.
The forward also helped Argentina win the Copa América in 2021 and 2024. Those victories transformed the latter part of his international career after years of frustration with the national side and ended a long wait for major senior honours with Argentina.
Messi’s final tournament produced another run to the World Cup final. Argentina reached the title match in July but lost 1-0 to Spain, with the defeat bringing his international playing career to its final competitive appearance.
The retirement announcement also came weeks after the death of Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, who died on August 8. Reports said the loss contributed to the player’s doubts about continuing with the national team. Messi’s farewell statement was originally written shortly after the World Cup final and later revised.
In announcing his departure, Messi also pointed to the emergence of younger Argentine players. He said he believed a new generation deserved the opportunity to represent the country, while making clear that his attachment to the national team would remain.
The decision ends an international career that included a World Cup, two Copa América titles and more than 200 appearances for Argentina. Messi will not, however, be leaving professional football altogether. He remains a player for Inter Miami, where he continues his club career in Major League Soccer.
For Argentina, the departure closes one of the defining chapters in its football history. Messi’s journey with the national team moved from early disappointments and criticism to major trophies and a World Cup triumph, leaving behind records that will be difficult for the next generation to match.
