Lionel Messi Retires From Argentina After 207 Caps

The Announcement

Lionel Messi has retired from international football, ending an Argentina career that ran for more than two decades. He confirmed the decision in a handwritten statement posted to Instagram, a picture of which he shared with his followers.

"After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the national team," he wrote. "It was a decision that hurt, and still hurts deep down, but I understand that the time has come."

He added that he had nothing left to give and that "there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here". The Guardian and The Independent both report that Messi wrote the statement on 21 July, two days after the World Cup final, but held it back.

Sponsored

HotelsLondonSee places to stay

The Final and His Father's Death

Argentina, the defending champions, lost the 2026 World Cup final 1-0 to Spain after extra time at MetLife Stadium. It proved to be Messi's last game for his country.

In a statement written after the final, Messi described struggling physically. "My legs couldn't go on any more," he wrote. "This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn't."

His father, Jorge Messi, died in August at the age of 68 after a long illness. The Independent gives no exact date; The Irish Sun reports the death occurred on 8 August and says it "convinced" Messi further. The Guardian reports it confirmed to him that this was the right moment to publish.

The Record

Messi made 207 appearances for Argentina, the second most by any men's international footballer, and scored 125 goals. He debuted in 2005 and captained the side to the 2022 World Cup title.

He finished three World Cup finals as a runner-up or winner, taking the Golden Ball in 2014 after the first of them. He ends as the second leading World Cup goalscorer behind Kylian Mbappe, both having passed Miroslav Klose's record during the tournament.

The Irish Sun lists further honours including two Copa America titles, Olympic gold in 2008 and the 2022 Finalissima. That outlet also states Messi won the World Cup in 2018, which contradicts the other sources; The Independent, the Guardian and The Athletic all place the triumph in 2022.

Club Future

Messi continues to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where the Guardian reports his contract runs to 2028. He scored four goals in a 7-1 win over CF Montreal on Saturday, the first time he had scored four in an MLS match.

The Athletic reports that Newell's Old Boys, the Rosario club he joined as a boy, renamed a stand in his honour a year ago, a gesture read partly as an invitation to return home. Whether that ever happens is not addressed by the sources.