Lionel Messi has brought his remarkable international football career with Argentina to an end, closing a 21-year chapter that carried him from teenage disappointment to World Cup glory.
The 39-year-old captain leaves the national team as Argentina’s record appearance holder and highest international goalscorer, having made 207 appearances and scored 125 goals for his country.
Messi said his decision was difficult, but he believes the time has come to give younger players the opportunity to take over.
“I’ve given it my all, I have nothing left to give,” Messi said, signalling the end of an international career that has been filled with extraordinary highs and painful lows.
From a Difficult Debut to Argentine Greatness
Messi’s journey with Argentina began in 2005 when he was introduced against Hungary as a teenager.
His first appearance, however, quickly turned into an unwanted memory. The young forward was sent off less than a minute after coming onto the pitch following an incident involving Hungary defender Vilmos Vanczak.
What followed was a career that would see Messi become the central figure of Argentine football for more than two decades.
Yet success with the national team did not come easily.
For years, Messi faced criticism whenever Argentina fell short in major tournaments. The pressure became particularly intense after several defeats in finals.
In 2016, following Argentina’s Copa América final loss to Chile, Messi announced his retirement from international football after missing his penalty in the shootout.
The decision proved temporary.
The Trophies Finally Arrived
Messi returned to international duty and continued his pursuit of the trophies that had repeatedly escaped him.
His breakthrough finally came at the 2021 Copa América, when Argentina defeated Brazil to win the tournament.
But the defining moment arrived one year later in Qatar.
At the 2022 World Cup, Messi produced a series of influential performances as Argentina progressed through the tournament before defeating France on penalties in one of the most dramatic finals in World Cup history.
The victory completed the missing piece of Messi’s international legacy.
After years of being questioned over his achievements with Argentina, he could finally celebrate as a world champion.
A Decision Shaped by Time and Loss
Messi’s decision to step away also comes during an emotional period in his life.
His father, Jorge Messi, died earlier in August at the age of 68 following a long illness. Messi later revealed that he had already written his retirement message on July 21, shortly after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
The loss of his father, he explained, strengthened his feeling that it was time to close the international chapter.
Messi Will Continue at Club Level
Although Argentina supporters will no longer see Messi in the national colours, his football career is not over.
He is expected to continue playing for Inter Miami, with his current contract extending through the 2028 season.
His international statistics tell only part of the story.
Messi leaves Argentina with 125 goals and 207 appearances. At the 2026 World Cup, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, while his 12 World Cup assists represent another historic achievement.
For Argentina, however, his greatest contribution may be the transformation of his relationship with the supporters.
The player who once carried the burden of being compared with Argentina’s greatest legends eventually gave the country the trophy it had been waiting for.
“Thank you for all the love over the past 20 years,” Messi told Argentine supporters. “I’m going to miss hearing you from the pitch so much.”
After 21 years, the journey is over.
Messi leaves the Argentina shirt not as a player defined by the finals he lost, but as a world champion, record-holder and one of the greatest footballers the country has ever produced.
