Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a 21-year career with the Argentina national team that included a World Cup title, two Copa América championships, and 207 caps.
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The 39-year-old, who made his senior debut for Argentina in 2005, confirmed the decision in a written statement this week. Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and was part of the squad that finished as runner-up this past summer, as well as in 2014.
“It was a decision that hurt, and still hurts deep down, but I understand that the time has come,” Messi wrote. He added that he had given his full commitment to the national team throughout his career, “not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too.”
According to the statement, Messi drafted his retirement letter on July 21, two days after Argentina’s loss in this year’s World Cup final. He did not publish it immediately. Messi said the death of his father, Jorge, last month confirmed that the time had come to make the decision public and formally end his international career.
Following his father’s death, Messi had written separately that he was uncertain whether he could continue playing “for much longer,” and disclosed the extent to which he had struggled physically during the World Cup final loss to Spain. “My legs couldn’t go on any more,” he wrote at the time. “This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn’t.”
In his statement, Messi expressed continued affection for the national team despite the decision to step away. “I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team,” he wrote. “I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”
Messi’s retirement applies only to international duty. He remains under contract with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer through 2028 and is expected to continue his club career uninterrupted.
The announcement marks the formal end of an era for Argentine football, with Messi’s departure leaving a significant leadership and on-field void for the national team as it moves forward with a younger core of players heading into future competitions.