Lionel Messi has officially announced his retirement from international football at the age of 39, bringing an extraordinary Argentina career to an end.
Messi’s final international match came in the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time. Despite falling short of a second World Cup, he leaves the national team as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and top scorer, with 207 caps and 125 goals.
His journey with Argentina included years of heartbreak before finally delivering the 2021 Copa América, 2022 World Cup and 2024 Copa América.
“It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down,” Messi said, explaining that he felt the time had finally come to step aside and allow Argentina’s younger generation to take over.
After 21 years, the Messi era with Argentina is officially over.
