Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international soccer, ending a historic career with Argentina that included a World Cup championship, multiple finals and a long list of individual records.
Messi Confirms International Retirement
The 39-year-old Argentina captain confirmed his decision Monday in an Instagram post, saying it “hurts deep in my soul” while acknowledging that he “realises the time has come.”
Messi’s final appearance for Argentina came in the World Cup final against Spain in July. Argentina lost the match after Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute of extra time.
The tournament marked Messi’s sixth World Cup appearance. He also became only the second player in men’s soccer history, after Brazil’s Cafu, to play in three World Cup finals.
Messi helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup after finishing as runner-up to Germany in 2014.
Family Loss Preceded Retirement Decision
Earlier this month, the Inter Miami star expressed doubts about continuing his playing career “for much longer” following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.
Jorge died Aug. 8 at age 68. Messi’s retirement announcement came amid a period of personal grief and reflection about his future in the sport.
Argentina’s next major competition will be the 2028 Copa America, when Messi would be 41. He would turn 43 during the following World Cup, which is scheduled to be primarily hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with opening matches also planned for Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Argentina’s World Cup Run Ends Against Spain
Spain largely contained Messi and Argentina in the World Cup final. The reigning South American champions managed only two shots across 120 minutes.
One of those attempts came from Messi but was blocked. Torres then scored the winning goal during extra time to secure the championship for Spain.
“The pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal,” Messi wrote on Instagram the day after the final. “But I’ll also hold on to all the good memories … It’s hard to appreciate what we achieved today, but this squad reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”
Messi Earns Silver Ball After Standout Tournament
Despite Argentina’s defeat, Messi finished the North American tournament with eight goals and four assists.
He placed second in the Golden Boot race behind France captain Kylian Mbappe. Messi also received the Silver Ball as the tournament’s second-best player, finishing behind Spain midfielder and Golden Ball winner Rodri.
Messi briefly became the leading scorer in men’s World Cup history during the tournament. He surpassed Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who scored 16 World Cup goals, by opening the scoring in Argentina’s 2-0 group-stage victory over Austria.
The record did not last through the end of the tournament. Mbappe scored twice against England in the third-place playoff, raising his career World Cup total to 22 goals.
Messi Leaves a Lasting Argentina Legacy
Messi’s retirement closes one of international soccer’s most decorated careers. After years of near misses, he led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and later helped the national team reach another final.
His departure marks the end of an era for Argentina, which must now prepare for future international tournaments without the player who captained and defined the team for more than a decade.
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