Argentina great Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing his career with the national team to an end.
Messi made the announcement in an Instagram post featuring a handwritten message spread across three pieces of notebook paper. He revealed that he had written the message on July 21, two days after Argentina’s loss to Spain.
The decision comes more than three weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died at the age of 68 following an illness.
The 39-year-old, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, scored 125 goals in 207 appearances for the national team, making him Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player.
Messi said he had reached the decision after thinking deeply about his future with the national team. He acknowledged that ending his international career was painful but said he believed it was the right time to do so.
The Argentine star said he had always given everything for the national team, not only during the years when the team won major trophies but throughout his entire international career. He added that his motivation had always been to make Argentines happy and proud through football.
Messi said he believed different chapters of his career were now coming to an end, describing his departure from the national team as particularly painful. He said he would always love being part of the team but felt he had nothing more to give.
He also pointed to the emergence of young players who deserve the opportunity to represent Argentina, saying he would continue to support the national team from outside.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star thanked his supporters for their love throughout his 20 years with the national team, saying he would miss hearing them from inside the team but would remain behind the players during both good and difficult moments.
Messi also expressed gratitude to his family, coaches, teammates and directors who shared his journey, saying he would leave with unforgettable memories from his time with Argentina.
He reflected on Argentina’s success with pride, saying he and his teammates had given the country moments they once dreamed of experiencing.
Messi said he had initially written the retirement message on July 21, two days after the final, but the death of his father later strengthened his conviction that the decision was the right one.
He ended his message by thanking God for making him Argentine and signing off with “Vamos Argentina.”
