End of an era: Lionel Messi retires from international football

by Chumasande Matiwane

On Monday, 31 August 2026, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer. 

In an Instagram post showing a handwritten notebook entry in Spanish, Messi confirmed that he is retiring from Argentina’s national team at age 39.

Also see: Spain defeats Argentina in epic 2026 FIFA World Cup final

Lionel Messi hangs up the boots

In a footnote, he added: “I wrote these words on July 21st, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced than before.”

This comes after Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, died on 8 Aug 2026 at a hospital in the central Argentine city of Rosario. He was 68. 

Messi, who played in six World Cups, won the tournament in Qatar in 2022 and led Argentina to the final in 2026, losing to Spain. 

The social media post said: “After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the Argentina national team.” 

“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, 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.” 

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

A career of heartbreak and redemption

Messi made his senior Argentina debut in 2005 and quickly became the central figure of a national team that carried enormous expectations. 

His first major World Cup as a leading player came in 2014, when Argentina reached the final in Brazil. Messi won the tournament’s Golden Ball, but Germany defeated Argentina 1–0 after extra time. 

The disappointment continued over the next two years. Argentina lost consecutive Copa América finals to Chile in 2015 and 2016.  

After the 2016 defeat, Messi announced his retirement from international football, although he subsequently reversed that decision and returned to the national team.  

The story changed dramatically in 2021. 

Messi finally won his first major senior international trophy when Argentina defeated Brazil in the Copa América final at the Maracanã. One year later came the defining achievement of his career. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Messi led Argentina to the title in Qatar. 

Argentina defeated France in a dramatic final that was ultimately decided on penalties after a 3–3 draw. Messi scored twice in the final and finished the tournament with seven goals, earning the Golden Ball as the competition’s outstanding player. 

The numbers behind the legacy

The Argentina captain is the country’s all-time leading goal scorer and most-capped player. Messi has scored 125 goals in 207 games for the Argentinian team. 

According to Reuters, he is the highest-scoring man in South American soccer history. 

When he led Argentina to the World Cup win in 2022, it was the country’s first in 36 years and its third overall. 

Before that, Messi played an essential role in ending Argentina’s 28-year trophy drought by winning the 2021 Copa América and then winning it again in 2024. 

He also became the only player to win the World Cup’s Golden Ball twice, having received the award in both 2014 and 2022. 

Also see: World Cup showdown: Can Egypt topple Argentina? 

The end of an era

Sky Sports reports Messi’s retirement does not mean the end of his playing career. He remains involved in club football with Inter Miami, meaning fans can still watch the Argentine superstar compete at club level. 

But Argentina will now enter a new era without the player who wore the No. 10 shirt for more than two decades. He leaves Argentina having accomplished what once seemed impossible: winning the World Cup and becoming the country’s greatest goalscorer and appearance-maker. 

For Argentina, the Messi era is over. For football, however, his legacy is only beginning. 

Fans react to the news

The retirement announcement sparked a wave of reactions. Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, paid tribute to her husband with an emotional post on Instagram. 

According to Sky Sport, the post read in Spanish, “I saw you keep going when things didn’t work out and always try again. And after so many years, I was also lucky enough to see you fulfil your dreams and live some of the happiest days of our lives. You deserved this story and so much more. We love you infinitely.” 

Also see: World Cup 3rd-place playoff: France and England ready for final test

Featured image: X/@CricCrazyJohns

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