Lionel Messi has retired from international football with Argentina at the age of 39, saying he has given everything to the national team and has “nothing left to give.” He leaves as Argentina's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, with 125 goals in 207 appearances, two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup. Messi will continue his club career with Inter Miami.
The 39-year-old Argentina captain confirmed that he will no longer play international football, saying the decision deeply hurts but that he believes the time has come to step away.
Messi leaves the national team as Argentina's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, having scored 125 goals in 207 appearances.
His international career included some of the greatest achievements in football history, most notably Argentina's World Cup triumph in Qatar in 2022.
In a statement, Messi said he had given everything he could to the national team and no longer felt he had anything left to contribute.
He also pointed to the emergence of a new generation of Argentine players who deserve opportunities at the international level.
The decision comes after Argentina's defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
Messi said he had written his retirement message shortly after that defeat, but the recent death of his father, Jorge Messi, further strengthened his decision.
His father died aged 68 following a long illness.
Messi said the combination of personal loss and the disappointment of the World Cup final had made him more certain about ending his international career.
Messi made his Argentina debut in 2005 in a friendly against Hungary.
His first appearance lasted less than a minute before he was sent off after an incident involving Hungarian defender Vilmos Vanczak.
That difficult beginning ultimately became the starting point of one of the most remarkable international careers in football.
Over the following 21 years, Messi established himself as Argentina's most prolific goalscorer and most-capped player.
He scored 125 international goals and became a central figure in Argentina's revival on the world stage.
His biggest achievement came in 2022, when he captained Argentina to victory at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He also won two Copa America titles with his country.
Messi finishes his international career among the greatest players in World Cup history.
He scored 21 World Cup goals, placing him second on the all-time men's scoring list behind France's Kylian Mbappé.
At the 2026 World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists.
His World Cup assist record is particularly notable. He finished with 12 assists across his World Cup career, including 10 in knockout-stage matches.
No other player has recorded more than eight World Cup assists overall, according to the figures cited in the report.
His performances at the tournament added another remarkable chapter to a career that had already included multiple records and major trophies.
Messi's relationship with Argentina was not always defined by success.
Before finally winning major international trophies, he experienced several painful defeats with the national team.
In 2016, Messi temporarily retired from international football after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile.
He had missed his penalty during the shootout, and the defeat followed a period in which Argentina had lost four major finals within nine years.
Messi later reversed his decision and returned to international football.
That comeback eventually led to the most successful period of his Argentina career.
He helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup provided Messi with another opportunity to represent Argentina on football's biggest stage.
He finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists, but Argentina ultimately lost the final to Spain.
Images of Messi, emotional on the pitch after the defeat, quickly became symbolic of the end of an era.
For a player who had spent more than two decades carrying enormous expectations from Argentine supporters, the defeat appears to have played an important role in his decision to retire from international football.
Messi's retirement from Argentina duty does not mean he is retiring from football altogether.
He remains under contract with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, with his current agreement running through the end of the 2028 season.
That means supporters can still expect to see the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner playing at club level.
There has also been speculation over whether Messi could eventually return to Argentina to finish his playing career with Newell's Old Boys. In this Rosario club, he developed before moving to Barcelona.
However, concerns about relocating his family and the competitiveness of Argentine football could make such a move difficult.
For now, Inter Miami appears to be the most likely setting for the final stage of Messi's playing career.
Messi's departure represents a major transition for Argentina.
For more than 20 years, he was one of the team's defining figures, serving as captain, leading scorer, and creative force.
His retirement also creates an opportunity for younger Argentine players to take on greater responsibilities within the national team.
Messi himself acknowledged the emerging generation and said they deserve their opportunity.
Argentina will now have to build a future without the player who delivered its most important international triumph in decades.
Messi's Argentina career began with a red card and ended after a World Cup final, but the period between those moments produced an extraordinary collection of achievements.
He leaves the national team with more appearances and goals than any other Argentine player.
He won the World Cup, two Copa America titles and several other international honours while becoming one of the defining athletes of his generation.
His retirement also closes one of the most remarkable international football stories of the modern era.
For Argentine supporters, however, Messi's legacy is not simply measured by statistics.
It is defined by the years of expectation, disappointment, perseverance, and ultimately the joy of seeing their captain lift the World Cup trophy.
Messi may no longer wear Argentina's shirt, but his place in the country's football history is firmly established.
Yes. Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football with Argentina at the age of 39.
Messi scored 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina, making him the country's all-time leading scorer.
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