Lionel Messi announces retirement from Argentina on Instagram, cites father's death
Lionel Messi announced on Instagram on Monday that he is retiring from international football, saying he made the decision two days after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain and that his father's death earlier in the month influenced his call.
After two decades in the blue and white, the 39-year-old said stepping away was painful but necessary because he had nothing more left to give and wanted to make room for younger players. Messi wrote that he composed his retirement note on July 21 and, in the Instagram statement, added: "I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my father, I am even more convinced than before." He also confirmed he will continue to play club football with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
Messi leaves Argentina as the nation's leading scorer and most-capped player, with 125 goals in 207 appearances. His senior international career began in 2005 when he made his debut at 18, and he was selected for Argentina's squad at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, becoming at the time Argentina's youngest-ever World Cup player and youngest goalscorer after netting against Serbia and Montenegro.
Early in his international career Argentina suffered notable setbacks: a quarter-final exit at the 2010 World Cup and a 2014 World Cup final defeat to Germany. Argentina also lost the 2016 Copa America final to Chile, after which Messi announced his retirement from international football before later reversing that decision and returning to the national side.
The waiting period for major silverware ended in 2021 when Messi inspired Argentina to Copa America victory, beating Brazil in the final at the Maracana. The source reported he was involved in nine of Argentina's 12 goals during the tournament and was named the competition's best player.
Messi's international career culminated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he scored twice in the final against France as the match finished 3-3 after extra time before Argentina prevailed in the penalty shootout. He concluded that tournament with seven goals and three assists and received the Golden Ball as the World Cup's best player; the triumph completed a major achievement that had previously eluded him.
In his Instagram statement Messi addressed supporters and those who accompanied him through his international career, writing: "After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the national team." He added: "Thank you for all the love and support over these 20 years. I will miss hearing you from inside the stadium very much. Now I will be one of you, always supporting and cheering from the outside — in good times and bad, even more so in the bad times."
Messi's retirement closes a 20-year chapter with Argentina while he remains an active professional at club level with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, and his Instagram announcement confirms he will no longer play for the national team.