Lionel Messi retires from Argentina’s international team
Messi, who captained Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022 and the final in 2026, said the decision ‘hurt’ but ‘the time has come’
Lionel Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022 and the final in 2026, is retiring from international football, he said on Monday.
The record eight-times Ballon d’Or winner is his country’s record appearance-maker and scorer with 125 goals in 207 games, having transformed a complicated relationship with the national team into a story of redemption and triumph.
“It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come,” the 39-year-old Messi wrote on Instagram.
“I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.
“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you – alongside my teammates – moments we once only dreamed of,” he added.
Defeat in this year’s World Cup final by Spain denied Messi a fairy-tale farewell but his place among the game’s greats had long since been secured.