Lionel Messi Announces Retirement From Argentina National Team at Age 39
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to 21 years of service to the Argentina national team and closing one of the most decorated careers in the history of the sport.
The 39-year-old confirmed the decision in a message posted to his Instagram account on Monday, August 31, 2026, saying the choice had hurt deeply and continued to weigh on him, but that he understood the time had come to step away. Messi will continue playing at club level for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, but will no longer turn out for the Albiceleste, ending an international career that began in 2005 and included a record 125 goals in 207 appearances for his country, both national records.
Messi’s international career reached its high point with Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar, a victory that finally delivered the sport’s biggest prize after years of near-misses, including defeats in the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals. He also led Argentina to Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, before featuring at this year’s World Cup, where Argentina reached the final once again before losing 1-0 to Spain. His retirement announcement comes roughly a month after that defeat, and just weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away in Rosario on August 8 at the age of 68. Messi had previously indicated he harboured serious doubts about continuing to play football at all following his father’s death.
The announcement prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the footballing world and beyond. Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia described Messi as already a legend of Argentine and world football, saying that speaking of him merely as a player fell short of capturing his significance, and praised the resilience Messi had shown throughout his international career. FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulated Messi on an extraordinary international career that he said had inspired millions of people and redefined the sport, wishing him well as he retires as a World Cup champion and one of the greatest players the game has ever produced.
Tributes also poured in from Messi’s international teammates. Angel Di Maria, who lifted the World Cup alongside Messi in 2022, thanked him for choosing to represent Argentina despite having other options available to him, while Rodrigo De Paul highlighted his unconditional love for the country and his resilience through personal and professional setbacks. Argentina President Javier Milei offered a brief but warm tribute on Instagram, thanking Messi and referring to him as an “impossible man.” Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, also shared an emotional post reflecting on watching her husband persevere through difficult moments before ultimately fulfilling his dreams on the international stage. Tributes extended beyond football as well, with Argentine Formula One driver Franco Colapinto thanking Messi for his years of service to the national team and describing him as an example to all Argentinians.
Messi’s relationship with the national team was not always this warmly received. He had previously announced his international retirement in 2016, following Argentina’s third consecutive final defeat, only to reverse the decision months later, eventually going on to deliver the Copa America and World Cup triumphs that would come to define his international legacy. Reflecting on his overall journey with the national team in his retirement statement, Messi described it as beautiful, though at times deeply difficult.
With his international playing days now over, Messi’s legacy in Argentine football is expected to be formally honoured in the near future, with the country’s football association previously indicating it intends to retire his No. 10 jersey once his international career concluded, a number previously worn by fellow Argentine great Diego Maradona.
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