Lionel Messi Retires From International Football, Ending a 21-Year Argentina Career

Lionel Messi has officially retired from international football at the age of 39, bringing an end to one of the most decorated national-team careers in the history of the sport. The Argentina captain announced his decision on August 31, weeks after leading his country to the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina lost 1–0 to Spain.

Messi leaves Argentina as the country’s all-time leader in both appearances and goals, with 207 caps and 125 goals. His international career began in 2005 and included years of disappointment before a historic late-career run that saw him win the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América. He also led Argentina to World Cup finals in 2014 and 2026.

His retirement closes an era in which he evolved from a player once criticized for failing to replicate his club success with Argentina into the central figure of one of the country’s greatest footballing periods. Messi will continue playing at club level with Inter Miami, but his departure from the national team leaves Argentina preparing for a future without the player who defined the side for more than two decades.