LIONEL Messi has announced his retirement from the Argentina national team, bringing an end to a 20-year international career that moved from repeated heartbreak and criticism to World Cup glory and continental dominance.
The 39-year-old made the announcement in an emotional statement on Monday, August 31, saying the decision had been painful but that he believed it was the right time to step away.
“Different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot,” Messi said. “I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give.”
Messi’s decision comes weeks after Argentina finished runners-up at the 2026 World Cup and shortly after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died aged 68 in Rosario following a long illness.
Jorge was more than Messi’s father. He was a central figure in the footballer’s career, accompanying him from his childhood in Rosario and later serving as his representative. He was instrumental in guiding his son’s career after Messi moved to Barcelona as a teenager.
Jorge’s death on August 8 came after weeks of health concerns surrounding him. The Messi family had asked for privacy over his condition during the 2026 World Cup, while Lionel was visibly emotional during Argentina’s campaign.
After his father’s death, Messi returned to Rosario to join his family for a private farewell. The Argentine Football Association and clubs across the football world paid tribute to Jorge, recognising his influence on the career of one of the sport’s greatest players.
In his retirement statement, Messi revealed that he had actually written the message on July 21, two days after the World Cup final, but said his father’s death had strengthened his conviction about the decision.
“Today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced of this decision than before,” he said.
A career that could now be nearing its end
Although Messi has announced his retirement only from international football, his statement has also raised fresh questions about how much longer he intends to continue playing altogether.
Earlier this month, following Jorge’s death, Messi admitted that he had “quite a few doubts” about his football future, suggesting that the end of his playing career could be approaching.
His latest statement reinforces that uncertainty.
Messi said there was “not much time left” and that new generations of Argentine players deserved the opportunity to take over.
However, there has been no formal announcement that he is retiring from club football as Messi remains with Inter Miami.
From Argentina’s biggest disappointment to its greatest triumph
Messi’s relationship with Argentina was for years defined less by trophies than by frustrations.
After making his senior debut in 2005, he reached major finals with Argentina but repeatedly failed to win trophies. He was part of the team that lost the 2007 Copa América final to Brazil and later suffered defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.
The pain intensified in 2015 and 2016, when Argentina lost consecutive Copa América finals to Chile, both after penalty shootouts.
Following the 2016 defeat, Messi stunned the football world by announcing his retirement from international football at only 29.
The repeated failures triggered intense scrutiny in Argentina, where Messi was frequently compared with Diego Maradona and criticised for failing to reproduce his Barcelona form with the national team.
Despite his extraordinary individual achievements, Argentina had still not won a major senior title during Messi’s career by 2019.
Then came Messi’s redemption
The turning point arrived at the 2021 Copa América as Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 at the Maracanã to win the tournament. The victory gave Messi his first major senior international trophy and ended Argentina’s 28-year wait for a major title.
The victory transformed the narrative around Messi and Argentina.
A year later, he helped Argentina defeat Italy in the 2022 Finalissima before producing the defining achievement of his international career at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Argentina defeated France on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the final, with Messi scoring twice and converting his penalty in the shootout.
He finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists and was named the best player of the competition.
Messi subsequently added another Copa América title in 2024, when Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in extra time.
The triumph gave him two Copa América titles, the 2022 World Cup and the 2022 Finalissima with Argentina, alongside the Olympic gold medal he won with the country’s Under-23 side in 2008.
A record-breaking Argentina career
Messi leaves the national team as Argentina’s most capped player and leading goalscorer.
He made his senior debut in 2005 and went on to make 207 appearances and score 125 goals for the Albiceleste, according to reports following his retirement.
He also became the first player to score in every knockout round of a single World Cup, while winning the World Cup’s Golden Ball twice.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M