Messi Retires from Argentina National Team, Drawing Tributes from Teammates and World Leaders
Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, announced his retirement from the Argentina national team on Monday, ending a 21-year international career that included four major titles, notably the 2022 World Cup. The 39-year-old, affectionately known as "La Pulga" ("The Flea"), revealed his decision in an Instagram post, just two days after Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final and less than a month after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, on August 8 in Rosario at the age of 68.
In a written statement quoted by 433, Messi explained, "After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I'm retiring from the national team. It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment." He added, "I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football."
Messi acknowledged that the end of this chapter "hurts him a lot," as he "gave everything he had and he does not have anything more to give." He also pointed to the emergence of young talent, saying they "deserve to be here."
The announcement drew immediate reactions from former teammates and global figures. Rodrigo De Paul, a teammate at both the national level and at Inter Miami, wrote in the comments section: "Your unconditional love for our country, your internal battles to never give up, your strength to always withstand the injustices, your leadership and human quality with every player who came into the training ground so they'd feel good, the little details with every worker at our federation... Just thank you, the greatest of all time, thank you for making us so, so happy, you have no idea how many smiles you brought out!! You're eternal."
Enzo Fernández, who won the 2022 World Cup alongside Messi, shared a personal tribute: "You always had a word, a piece of advice, a hug, or simply the way to make me feel calm when I needed it. I'm never going to forget that. Today it's hard for me to imagine the next training camp without you. Going out onto the pitch and not seeing you up front, wearing the number 10. It was so many years seeing you there that it seems impossible to think of it any other way. How lucky I was, Leo."
Leandro Paredes wrote: "Thank you for absolutely everything. You are and always will be the greatest of all. We love you, captain." Cristian "Cuti" Romero added: "I love you, I admire you and I will always be grateful for everything you gave up for me and for our country. Eternal thanks, captain."
Ángel Di María, a long-time teammate and fellow World Cup winner, expressed: "How difficult it is to read that we won't see you again in light blue and white. I only know that I was born in the right century to be able to see you, enjoy you, and on top of that, share a dressing room with you. Thank you, Captain, for so much." In another post, Di María wrote, "We will be grateful to you for the rest of our lives, for being Argentine and for taking Argentina to the top of the world. For choosing to represent Argentina when you could easily have chosen something else. Thank you, Captain. Thank you for everything. The greatest in history."
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also reacted on X, calling Messi's retirement "the end of an era" and hailing him as the "GOAT for life." His post read: "An era ends. Thank you, Leo, for every bit of magic. What a privilege it has been to watch you play. Heartbroken like every fan today, and I know my entire family will feel it too. GOAT for life."
Messi's international career is studded with records. He is Argentina's most-capped player and highest goal scorer, with 203 appearances and 124 goals—also a record for South American football. He appeared in six World Cups from 2006 to 2026, scoring 21 goals in 34 matches, making him the second-highest scorer in World Cup history behind Kylian Mbappé, who has 22. In the 2026 World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists, including a hat-trick against Algeria.
His crowning achievement came in 2022 when he led Argentina to their first World Cup title in 36 years, and third overall, beating France in the final. He also played a pivotal role in ending Argentina's 28-year trophy drought, winning the Copa América in 2021 and successfully defending it in 2024. Messi had previously announced his retirement in 2016 after a Copa América final loss to Chile but later reversed the decision.
Messi will continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS), where he has been playing since 2023.