Messi Retires From International Football After Spain Defeat

Lionel Messi has retired from international football, bringing an end to a remarkable 21-year career with Argentina just weeks after the country lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain.

The 39-year-old announced his decision on Monday through Instagram, revealing that he had written the farewell message on July 21, two days after Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat by Spain in the final in New York/New Jersey.

Messi said the decision had been painful but that he believed the time had come to step away from the national team.

“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deep down — but I understand that the time has come,” he wrote.

He added that he had given everything to the Argentina shirt throughout his career and wanted to leave room for the younger generation coming through.

The announcement came after the death of his father, Jorge, on August 8. Messi said the loss left him even more convinced that he should bring his international career to a close.

The decision ends one of the most decorated international careers in football history. Messi made his Argentina debut in 2005 and leaves as the country’s most-capped player, with 207 appearances, as well as its leading scorer with 125 goals.

He captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, ending a 36-year wait for the country, and also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024.

His final World Cup campaign ended in disappointment, however, as Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the July 19 final. Messi’s appearance took his total number of World Cup matches to a record 34.

The 2026 tournament was Messi’s sixth World Cup. He scored eight goals during the competition and briefly became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer before being overtaken by France’s Kylian Mbappé.

Messi’s relationship with the Argentina national team was not always smooth. After losing the 2016 Copa América final to Chile on penalties, he announced his retirement from international football before eventually reversing the decision.

He went on to lead Argentina to the 2021 Copa América title and later delivered the country’s long-awaited World Cup triumph in Qatar.

His success with Argentina also silenced much of the criticism that had followed him for years, particularly comparisons with the late Diego Maradona and questions over whether he could reproduce his club form at international level.

Messi thanked his family, teammates and supporters for accompanying him through what he described as a difficult but beautiful journey.

“I love, have loved and will always love being part of the national team,” he said, adding that he had “given everything” and had nothing more to give.

Ángel Di María, who scored for Argentina in both the 2021 Copa América final and the 2022 World Cup final, thanked Messi for allowing him to share part of his international journey.

Rodrigo De Paul also paid tribute to the captain, while Lautaro Martínez said Argentina would miss him.

Messi’s retirement from international football does not mean an immediate end to his playing career. He remains with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and has a contract running until 2028.

For Argentina, however, the departure marks the closing of an extraordinary chapter — one that began with a teenage debut in 2005 and ended with a World Cup final appearance more than two decades later.

Messi leaves the national team as a World Cup winner, two-time Copa América champion, record appearance holder and record goalscorer.

He ended his farewell message with a final tribute to the country he represented throughout his career: “I thank God for making me Argentinian.”