Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to his two-decade career with the Argentina national team.
The 39-year-old made the announcement on Monday, saying the decision was painful but that he believed it was the right time to step away.
Messi had led Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar, where they defeated France on penalties in the final. Four years later, Argentina reached the 2026 World Cup final but lost 1-0 to Spain.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Messi said he had given everything to the national team throughout his career and was leaving with a sense of peace and pride.
“After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team,” he wrote.
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.”
Messi said he had always fought to bring happiness to Argentines and make them proud through football, adding that he believed a new generation of players deserved the opportunity to represent the country.
“There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot,” he said.
“I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give.”
Messi also thanked his family, coaches, teammates, directors and supporters for their roles throughout his international career.
He said he would miss experiencing matches from inside the team but would continue supporting Argentina from the outside.
“I’m going to miss hearing you from the inside. Now I’ll be one of you, always supporting from the outside, in the good times and even more in the bad ones,” he wrote.
Messi revealed that he had written the statement on July 21, two days after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, but said the death of his father, Jorge Messi, in August had strengthened his resolve to retire.
Before his announcement, Messi had said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play football for much longer following his father’s death.
Messi’s retirement from international football does not immediately end his club career. His contract with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2028 season.
