Messi Calls Time On Argentina Career

By: Joyce Owusu
Sept 1, 2026

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to one of the most remarkable careers in the history of Argentina’s national team. The 39-year-old captain said he had reached a point where he had given everything he could to the national side and believed the time had come to make way for a new generation of players.

According to a BBC report, Messi said the decision was painful but that he remained convinced it was the right moment to close his international chapter, particularly following the recent death of his father, Jorge Messi. Messi leaves the Argentina team as its record goalscorer and most-capped player, having scored 125 goals in 207 appearances. He also departs with a World Cup title, two Copa America triumphs and a legacy that has firmly established him among football’s greatest-ever players.

His decision follows Argentina’s defeat by Spain in the World Cup final earlier this summer. Messi revealed that he had written his retirement message on July 21, two days after the final, but said his father’s death subsequently strengthened his resolve to step away. The announcement marks the latest chapter in an international career that began in 2005 under extraordinary circumstances. Messi made his Argentina debut as a substitute against Hungary but was sent off less than a minute after coming on following an altercation with defender Vilmos Vanczak. That difficult beginning ultimately gave way to an unprecedented international career.

After years of disappointment in major tournaments, including defeats in four finals within nine years, Messi finally ended Argentina’s long wait for a World Cup in 2022 when he led the team to victory in Qatar. He had previously lifted the Copa America trophy in 2021 and added another continental title in 2024, cementing his status as the most decorated figure in Argentina’s modern football history. Messi also leaves a significant mark on the World Cup record books. He scored 21 goals in the competition, placing him second on the all-time list behind France’s Kylian Mbappe, who has 22.

His 125 international goals also put him second among all men’s international scorers, behind long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, who has 146. This is not Messi’s first decision to walk away from international football. In 2016, he announced his retirement after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile, with Messi missing a penalty during the decisive shootout. He later reversed that decision and returned to the national team, eventually leading Argentina to the greatest prize in international football.

Although his international career is now coming to an end, Messi is not retiring from football altogether. He is expected to continue playing at club level with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. His departure from Argentina leaves behind a career defined not only by goals and trophies but also by persistence. After years of criticism for failing to deliver a major international title, Messi ultimately captained his country to the World Cup and two Copa America crowns before deciding to walk away on his own terms.