BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — After two decades of donning the Argentina national team jersey and delivering countless historic moments to football fans across the globe, one of the sport’s greatest ever players, Lionel Messi, has announced his retirement from international soccer. The 39-year-old Inter Miami captain shared the emotional news on his Instagram account on Monday, opening up about the profound difficulty of his decision.
“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,” Messi wrote in his retirement statement. He went on to reaffirm his unwavering commitment to the national side throughout his entire career, adding: “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.”
Over his 20-year international career, Messi built a legacy that will stand the test of time. He matched the all-time record by competing in six FIFA World Cups, claiming the sport’s biggest prize with Argentina in Qatar 2022, and led the side to the 2026 World Cup final earlier this month, where Argentina fell to Spain in extra time in New Jersey. Across the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, Messi started and played all eight of Argentina’s matches, netting eight goals — just one strike behind top scorer Kylian Mbappé of France. When he hangs up his international boots, he leaves as Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer, with a staggering 125 national team goals, 21 of which came in World Cup appearances.
Messi revealed that he actually drafted his retirement announcement on July 21, just two days after the 2026 World Cup final, but delayed publishing the post out of respect for his father Jorge, who was battling serious health issues that ultimately led to his passing on August 8 in Messi’s hometown of Rosario.
Notably, this is not the first time Messi has stepped away from international football. A decade ago, following a missed penalty in Argentina’s 2016 Copa América final defeat to Chile on penalties, the star announced his first international retirement. At that point, he had endured years of near-misses and frustration with the national side, having made his senior Argentina debut back in 2006. But he reversed that decision, went on to lead Argentina to the 2021 Copa América title, the 2022 World Cup triumph, and the 2024 Copa América crown, cementing his legacy as a national hero.
While his international career has drawn to a close, Messi will continue his club career with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. Just this past weekend, he showcased he still has elite level finishing, scoring four goals in the club’s 7-1 routing of CF Montreal. The two-time defending MLS Most Valuable Player and reigning league champion did not specify how much longer he intends to continue playing at club level in his retirement announcement.
In a heartfelt closing to his statement, Messi thanked Argentine fans for two decades of support, saying: “Thank you for all the love these past 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much. Now I’m going to be one of you, cheering and supporting you from the outside (through thick and thin, even more so). I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — along with my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of. Experiencing this with you was incredible. I love you all.”
Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni, who worked alongside Messi through the side’s recent golden run, praised the forward’s unparalleled legacy during the 2026 World Cup, simply saying: “He is pure history. History. A legend.”
AP Sports writer Tim Reynolds contributed reporting from Miami, Florida.