Lionel Messi officially retired from international football on August 31, 2026, at 39 years old, concluding a storied career with Argentina spanning over two decades [1, 2, 3]. Messi made 207 appearances and scored 125 goals, making him Argentina's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player [1, 3, 4].

Messi's international journey began in August 2005 when he debuted in a friendly against Hungary but was sent off within a minute [2, 4, 5]. Over the years, he helped Argentina win two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, as well as an Olympic gold medal in 2008 [3, 6, 7]. He captained the national team to victory in the 2022 World Cup and guided them to the 2026 final, where Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain [3, 8, 6]. Messi contributed 8 goals and 4 assists in the 2026 tournament alone [4].

He holds the second highest World Cup goal tally with 21 goals, closely trailing Kylian Mbappe, and ranks second in international scoring behind Cristiano Ronaldo with 146 goals [4].

Messi wrote his retirement statement on July 21, 2026, two days after the World Cup final, where he said, "It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deep down — but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all... to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football" [3, 4, 9]. The death of his father Jorge in August 2026 helped confirm his decision [10, 4, 9].

Under coach Lionel Scaloni, Argentina built a strong team around Messi, leading to sustained international success [8, 7]. Messi’s early relationship with the national team was complicated, including a brief retirement in 2016 after a Copa America final defeat, but he returned stronger than ever [8, 4, 7].

Messi joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami in 2023 and will continue his club career there through the end of the 2028 season [4, 9].

Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia called Messi "The captain of our dreams... You are already a legend of this land, of our national team and of world football" [11]. FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised Messi as a World Cup champion and one of the greatest players ever [11]. Former teammates, including Angel Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez, expressed deep gratitude for Messi’s impact both on and off the pitch [10, 11].