Messi's international retirement draws tributes from Mourinho and Kempes

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, ending a two-decade career with Argentina. The decision, confirmed in a written statement, came more than a month after Argentina's 0-1 loss to Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final and days after the death of his father, Jorge.

Tributes have poured in from across the football world. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, who faced Messi's Barcelona teams in numerous El Clasico encounters, wrote in a comment on Messi's retirement post: "Congratulations on a brilliant and unforgettable international career. The next Copa America and the next World Cup won't be the same."

Mario Kempes, Argentina's 1978 World Cup winner, also paid tribute on Instagram, saying: "Leo, today is a very difficult day for all Argentines. You wore the Argentine jersey like no one else." Kempes noted Messi's 207 matches and 125 goals, calling him the all-time leading scorer and the player with the most appearances in national team history. He added: "And what you did in this World Cup, at 39 years old, taking us to a final once again, that was also greatness."

A career that completed the story

Messi's international journey was marked by early heartbreaks before he secured the biggest prizes, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup and multiple Copa America titles. His retirement statement, originally written two days after the World Cup final, was published after his father's death. In it, Messi said: "I swear you that I always gave it my all - not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too." He said he leaves with peace and pride.

Messi's final appearance for Argentina was the World Cup 2026 final loss to Spain. He finishes as a one-time World Cup winner, the second-highest scorer in World Cup history, and a two-time Copa America champion. Reports on his exact number of appearances and goals vary, with some citing 207 appearances and 125 goals, while others list 203 appearances and 124 goals.

Mourinho: 'We had to be different'

Mourinho, who is in his second stint as Real Madrid manager, recalled in his documentary the difficulty of preparing for Messi during his earlier tenure at the club. He described the challenge of trying to contain the Argentine, saying: "I was having a nightmare. 'What can we do to stop him?' From the first [El Clasico] game, I knew that we couldn't be better than them doing the same as they do. To beat them, we had to be different both on and off the pitch."

Messi led Argentina to titles at the 2021 and 2024 Copa America, as well as the 2022 World Cup, scoring 21 goals in World Cup tournaments throughout his career.