Lionel Messi, 39 years old, announced his retirement from the Argentine national team through social media, communicating that he is leaving the "albi-celeste" team. The forward published this decision on July 21, two days after the 2026 World Cup final, lost to Spain 0-1, and revealed that, after his father's death on August 8, he became even more convinced that it was the right time to say goodbye. Messi stated that the decision "hurts his soul", but that he understands it is the right time, explaining that he has nothing left to give and that talented young players deserve the opportunity to join the national team.
Messi made his debut for Argentina on August 17, 2005, in a friendly against Hungary, and ended his international career on July 19, 2026 with the defeat in the World Cup final. Over 21 years, he became the record holder for most appearances (207), goals (125) and assists (66) for the Argentine national team. In his final tournament, the 2026 World Cup, he scored eight goals and made four assists, carrying the team to the final.
The Argentine captain experienced many disappointments throughout his international career, including painful defeats in the Copa América finals of 2007, 2015 and 2016, and the 2014 World Cup final. After much resilience, he achieved his first title with the senior national team on July 10, 2021, defeating Brazil 1-0 at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, in a Copa América marked by the covid-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Messi captained Argentina to victory in the Finalissima against Italy (3-0 at Wembley) and, in the same year, won the World Cup in Qatar, being crowned the best player of the tournament after scoring seven goals and making three assists. In 2024, he added a second Copa América victory against Colombia, in a final decided after extra time. Messi thanked the support during the 20 years of international career and promised to support the national team "from outside, in the good times and, much more so, in the bad times".
