Lionel Messi ends his 21-year international career with Argentina after winning the 2022 World Cup and reaching the 2026 final.
BUENOS AIRES: Argentina superstar Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 39, ending a remarkable 21-year career with the national team.
Messi confirmed his decision in an emotional message posted on Instagram, describing the choice as painful but saying he believes the time has finally come to step away from international duty.
The forward’s final appearance for Argentina came in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time. Messi had helped Argentina reach the final after the team’s World Cup triumph in Qatar in 2022.
Messi leaves international football with 207 appearances and 125 goals for Argentina, making him the country’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer.
From heartbreak to glory
Messi’s international career included years of disappointment before he finally delivered major silverware with Argentina.
After suffering defeats in several major finals, he helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América. The team then claimed the Finalissima before Messi led the side to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022.
The 2022 triumph became the defining achievement of Messi’s international career and strengthened his standing among football’s greatest players. He later guided Argentina to another World Cup final in 2026, but Spain’s extra-time victory ended the team’s hopes of retaining the title.
His career with Argentina also marked the completion of a long journey to establish a legacy distinct from that of Diego Maradona, whose achievements had long shaped comparisons involving Argentine football.
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