Messi Announces He is Done with International Football

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Argentina's captain Lionel Messi has said he is retiring from international football just a month after his country played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Messi, who led Argentina in his sixth World Cup, shared the news on Monday. This ends a long and impressive international career in football.

The Inter Miami star said it was a tough choice but he knows it is time to leave the national team.

Messi wrote in an official statement on his Instagram: “After all this time since the final match, and after long reflection, I want to announce to everyone that I have decided to retire from playing with the national team.”

He added, “It was a painful decision, and it still hurts me deep down, but I realise that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave everything I had, not only during the recent years in which we achieved everything, but before that too, and I always fought and gave all I have for this shirt, to make you happy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.”

This decision follows Messi’s last World Cup, which ended in disappointment, with Argentina losing the final to Spain.

This was his sixth World Cup, adding to his career that includes two World Cup final matches.

Messi helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, four years after they lost to Germany in the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

He said, “There is not much left, and the stages have begun to reach their end, and this is one of them that hurts me greatly. I love, I have loved, and I will always love being with the national team. I have exhausted everything I have, and I no longer have any more to give, alongside the presence of a group of wonderful young players who deserve to get their chance.”

Messi’s time with the national team is marked not just by his personal wins but also by his eventual success with Argentina after many years of setbacks.

He won the Copa América in 2021 and then led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title. He also helped secure the 2024 Copa América, adding to his achievements with the national team.

The Argentine legend thanked fans, saying he will support the national team from outside the pitch now.

He continued, “Thank you for all this love over 20 years. I will miss hearing your voices from inside the stadium very much, and now I will become one of you, always supporting and backing the national team from the outside, in good times and bad, and especially in the difficult times.”

Messi also expressed gratitude to his family, coaches, teammates, and officials who stood by him during his career.

The 39-year-old said, “Thank you to my family for always being by my side, and for accompanying me on this very beautiful journey, despite its difficulty. Thank you to every coach, teammate, and official I had the chance to share this journey with. I will carry with me unforgettable memories and moments that I lived throughout this period.”

He ended his statement with a heartfelt message to Argentina and its fans.

“I leave feeling at ease and proud because, together with my teammates, I gave you moments we had always dreamed of. It was madness to live all of that with you. I love you! Thank God for making me Argentine. Long live Argentina!”

Messi added a note below the statement: “I wrote these words on 21 July, two days after the final match. And today, after what happened to my father, I am more convinced of the decision than ever.”

This announcement comes weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away at 68 on 8 August.

Earlier in August, Messi talked about his uncertainty about continuing his playing career “for much longer” after losing his father.

With his retirement from international football, Messi leaves behind a record that includes Argentina’s major successes in recent times and a career that has made him one of the most celebrated players in football history.