Lionel Messi officially announced his retirement from the Argentine national football team through a post on social media. The announcement came a month and 12 days after the 2026 World Cup final, in which Argentina was defeated by Spain 0-1.
The Argentine striker, currently 39 years old, explained in his statement that, after much reflection since that final, he made the decision to end his international career.
Messi made his debut for the Argentine national team on August 17, 2005, at the age of 18, in a match against Hungary. Throughout his international career, he became the absolute record holder for appearances, goals and assists for the Albiceleste, with 207 games, 125 goals and 66 assists.
