- Argentina great Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football.
- Messi is all-time leading goalscorer with 125 goals in 193 appearances, concluding a 21-year journey that featured six FIFA World Cup tournaments (2006–2026).
- His senior career began infamously on August 17, 2005, when an 18-year-old Messi came off the bench against Hungary in Budapest.
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, closing the curtain on a legendary 21-year career that defined an era for Argentina and global football.
At 39 years old, the captain steps away having transformed his national team from a side plagued by heart-wrenching final defeats into one of the most dominant squads in modern international football history.
His journey on the international stage began on August 17, 2005, when an 18-year-old Messi made his senior debut in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest. Coming off the bench in the 63rd minute.
His introduction took an infamous turn just 43 seconds later. After defender Vilmos Vanczák pulled his jersey, Messi swung his arm to break free, earning a controversial straight red card.
Despite that disastrous start, he quickly cemented his place as the heartbeat of the national side for the next two decades.
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His final appearance in Argentina’s iconic jersey came on the biggest stage imaginable during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where Argentina finished as runners-up after an extraordinary battle against Spain.
By stepping onto the pitch in that tournament,Messi joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players in football history to feature in six FIFA World Cup tournaments (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026).
Ronaldo, however, holds a unique distinction of his own, having become the first player in men’s football history to score in six separate World Cup editions.
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Lionel Messi farewell message
Addressing his country in an emotional farewell statement, Messi revealed that the decision had been weighing on him since the tournament ended, writing:
“I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final,today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced of this decision than before. After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team.
It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.”
Across 193 international appearances, Messi shattered virtually every individual record for his country, finishing as Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer with 125 goals.
Beyond the numbers, his international legacy is cemented by a historic period of silverware, capped off by his career-defining triumph at the 2022 FIFA
World Cup in Qatar. His trophy cabinet with Argentina also includes back-to-back Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima trophy, and an Olympic Gold Medal earned at the 2008 Beijing Games.
While his time representing Argentina has drawn to a close, Messi will continue to feature at the club level with Inter Miami CF in the Major League Soccer.
