Lionel Messi officially announced his retirement from the Argentina national team on Monday, closing the book on one of the greatest international careers in soccer history. The announcement, posted on his social media accounts, comes roughly six weeks after Argentina's heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, and just over three weeks after his father and agent, Jorge Messi, passed away. Messi, long criticized for his inability to win anything with the national team, guided the team to a historic run over the last five years, which includes winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup, sandwiched between winning two Copa America titles and then a second-place finish at last summer's 2026 World Cup.
For nearly two decades, Messi's genius was undisputed at the club level but questioned on the international stage. Messi's journey with the Argentina national team was one of frustration, redemption, and ultimately glory, and it will forever stand as one of the great narrative arcs in sports history. Here's what Messi posted on social media: "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. I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.
There isn't much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. 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. Also, there are great young players coming through who deserve to be here. Thank you for all the love during these 20 years.
I'm going to miss hearing you from the inside. Now I'll be one of you, always supporting from the outside, in the good times and even more in the bad ones. Thank you to my family for always being there and for being with me throughout this beautiful but difficult journey.
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