Lionel Messi has retired from international football at 39 after 20 years with Argentina, following the team’s 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain.
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to his 20-year career with Argentina.
The 39-year-old confirmed his decision in an emotional post on Instagram on Monday, August 31, 2026, saying he no longer had anything left to give the national team and believed it was time to make way for younger players.
“After all this time that has passed since the final, and after much thought, I want to announce to everyone that I am retiring from the National Team,” Messi wrote. “It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep down, but I understand that the time has come.”
Messi revealed that he had written the retirement message shortly after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Argentina lost 1-0 in extra time on July 19, with the match marking Messi’s final appearance for the national team.
He said the death of his father, Jorge Messi, earlier in August further convinced him that stepping away from international football was the right decision. Jorge Messi, who was also his son’s long-time agent, died on August 8.
“I swear that I always gave my all, not just in the last few years when we won everything, but before that as well,” Messi said. “I always fought and gave everything for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you proud to be Argentinian through football.”
The Argentine captain also acknowledged that his time with the national team was coming to an end and said emerging players deserved an opportunity to take his place.
“There’s not much time left, and chapters are closing, and this is one that hurts me deeply,” he wrote. “I loved, loved, and will always love being on the national team.”
Messi thanked Argentinians and his supporters for their backing throughout his international career, saying he would now watch the national team from the sidelines.
“Thank you for all the love and support over these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much. Now I’m going to be just one of you, cheering and supporting you from the sidelines,” he wrote.
A Second Retirement
This is Messi’s second retirement from international football, his first announced his retirement in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa América final to Chile on penalties. He subsequently reversed the decision and returned to the national team. His return ultimately produced the most successful period of his international career.
Messi helped Argentina win the Copa América in 2021, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Copa América again in 2024. He also led Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final, where they were beaten by Spain.
A Record-Breaking Argentina Career
Messi made his senior Argentina debut as an 18-year-old in 2005 and went on to become the country’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer.
He leaves the national team with 207 appearances and 125 goals, records that underline his extraordinary contribution to Argentine football.
His international career included six World Cup appearances, beginning in 2006. After losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and suffering repeated disappointment with Argentina, Messi eventually lifted the biggest prize in international football in Qatar in 2022.
His second World Cup final appearance in 2026 ended in defeat, but it also marked the final chapter of a career in which he transformed Argentina’s fortunes and established himself as one of the country’s greatest sporting figures.
Messi’s retirement from international football does not necessarily mark the end of his playing career. He remains a professional player with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, meaning he could continue his club career even though his time with Argentina is over.
For Argentina, however, the era of Messi in the famous blue-and-white shirt is now officially over.
