One of the greatest footballers in history, Lionel Messi, is set to receive a heartfelt tribute from his home nation’s top football league following his formal retirement from international football. All matches held across Argentine domestic competitions this coming weekend will grind to a halt at the 10-minute mark to hold a full minute of applause, honoring the decorated forward’s legendary decades-long career with Argentina’s men’s national team. The 39-year-old icon, who famously wore the number 10 shirt for his country throughout his international tenure, announced his decision to step away from national team duty on Monday.
Messi’s final outing for the Albiceleste came in July’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where Argentina fell to Spain in a match that brought an end to a historic international run that included some of the biggest highs in the nation’s modern football history. A statement released by the Argentine Football Association confirmed the honor, saying, “In tribute and homage to Lionel Messi’s career with the Argentina national team, at the 10th minute of play in all matches the referees will stop the game and a general minute of applause will be held. We look forward to seeing you on the fields – join us in this recognition!”
Over his 21-year international career, Messi rewrote the Argentina national team record book. He holds the nation’s all-time record for appearances with 207 senior caps, and has scored 125 international goals – the second-highest total in men’s international football history, trailing only long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, who has netted 146 times. Across World Cup tournaments, Messi notched 21 goals, one behind current leader Kylian Mbappé of France for the all-time tournament scoring record.
This is not the first time Messi has walked away from international football, though this retirement is expected to be permanent. He first announced a departure from the national side in 2016, following a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Chile in the Copa America final – a result that marked Argentina’s fourth major final loss in just nine years, after Messi missed his spot kick in the deciding shootout. He reversed that decision just months later, and went on to lead Argentina to long-awaited glory: a 2021 Copa America title, followed by the nation’s third World Cup championship in Qatar 2022, where he captained the side to a dramatic penalty shootout win over France in one of the most iconic finals in tournament history.
Messi’s path to stardom took him away from his native Argentina as a teenager, when he moved to Spain at 13 to join FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy. He never played senior club football in Argentina during his long professional career, and currently plies his trade with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami in the United States, where his contract runs through the end of the 2028 season. He will continue to play club football for Miami, despite his international retirement.
The decision to retire permanently was cemented by a personal loss for Messi earlier this summer. In August, the footballer revealed he had been evaluating his entire football future following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away at age 68 after a prolonged battle with illness. When announcing his international retirement, Messi confirmed that his father’s passing left him “even more convinced than before” that stepping away from national team duty was the right choice for this next chapter of his life and career.