Argentina and former Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football following a 21-year stint with the Argentine senior national team, where he has been capped 207 times with 125 goals to his name.
In his message shared on his social media platforms, he wrote:
“After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the national team…
It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deeply, but I understand that the time has come. I swear I always gave everything—not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave my all for this shirt, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.
There isn’t much time left, and chapters are coming to an end, and this is one that hurts me a lot. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had; I have nothing more to give. Besides, there are some very talented young players coming through who deserve to be there.
Thank you for all the love and support over these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you from inside the stadium. Now I’m going to be one of you, always cheering and supporting from the outside—in good times and bad, even more so in the bad times.
Thank you to my family for always being there and for accompanying me on this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to every coach, teammate and official I had the opportunity to share this journey with. I’m taking with me unforgettable memories and moments.
I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you, together with my teammates, moments we only dreamed of. It was crazy to have experienced it with you. I love you!
Thank you, God, for making me Argentine.
Let’s go, Argentina!”
Lionel Messi has won four major senior international trophies with Argentina. He won the 2021 Copa América, followed by the 2022 CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions against Italy. Messi then captained Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar, defeating France on penalties in the final.
Messi added another Copa América title in 2024, when Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in the final. At youth level, he also won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and an Olympic gold medal with Argentina at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Unfortunately, he lost the 2026 FIFA World Cup final to Spain, where Argentina suffered a 1-0 defeat in extra time.
