Lionel Messi Retires from International Football

By Adedapo Adesanya

One of football’s greatest players, Lionel Messi, has officially retired from international football, bringing an end to one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the Argentina national team.

The 39-year-old announced his decision on Monday, August 31, weeks after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

Messi captained Argentina to the final in what became his sixth World Cup appearance, but Spain secured a 1–0 extra-time victory to deny the South Americans a second consecutive title.

Messi, who made his Argentina debut in 2005, leaves the national team as its most capped player and leading goalscorer, having recorded 207 appearances and 125 goals. His international career spanned more than two decades and included some of the highest highs and most painful disappointments in Argentine football.

For years, international success proved elusive for the Barcelona and Inter Miami star. He lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and suffered defeats in the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals. In 2016, following another heartbreaking loss, Messi briefly announced his international retirement before returning to lead Argentina through one of the most successful periods in the country’s football history.

That persistence eventually produced the trophies that had long been missing from his extraordinary résumé.

The forward helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América, defeating Brazil in the final at the Maracanã, before adding the 2022 Finalissima against Italy and, most significantly, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Argentina defeated France on penalties after a thrilling 3–3 draw, with Messi scoring twice and subsequently winning the Golden Ball.

Argentina went on to win another Copa América in 2024, further cementing Messi’s status as the central figure of the country’s modern golden generation.

His final World Cup campaign in 2026 took him to a record sixth tournament and a second successive final, although the campaign ultimately ended in disappointment against Spain.

The decision also comes shortly after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, earlier in August.

After the World Cup final loss in the US, Canada, and Mexico, Messi had previously expressed uncertainty about how much longer he would continue playing, adding another emotional dimension to his decision.

Although his international career is now over, Messi’s football career itself is not necessarily finished. He remains with Inter Miami, where his contract runs through the end of the 2028 MLS season.