Lionel Messi retires from Argentina after 207 caps following World Cup final
Lionel Messi announced his retirement from Argentina’s national team on 31 August 2026 after winning 207 caps, with his final appearance coming in the World Cup final.
The 39-year-old made his Argentina debut in 2005. He was part of the side that won the World Cup in 2022 and finished as a runner-up this summer and in 2014. Messi also won two Copa América titles during his international career.
Messi wrote in a statement: “It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come. 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. “Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. 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.”
He said he had written his retirement statement on 21 July, two days after the World Cup final. Messi added that the death last month of his father, Jorge, had confirmed it was the right moment to publish the statement and end his international career. The club statement referenced his decision to make the announcement public following that family bereavement.
After his father’s death Messi wrote that he had “quite a few doubts” about whether he would keep playing “for much longer”. He also described the physical toll of the World Cup final defeat by Spain, writing: “My legs couldn’t go on any more.” He added: “This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn’t.”
Messi plays for Inter Miami, where his contract runs to 2028. He scored four goals in a Major League Soccer match for the first time last Saturday. That performance helped inspire a 7-1 thrashing of CF Montreal.
He first retired from internationals in 2016 after a Copa final defeat in which he missed a penalty in the shootout, but he returned to help the team to the 2018 World Cup finals.