Lionel Messi has officially announced his retirement from the Argentina national team. The 39-year-old captain of the Albiceleste made the announcement in his official Instagram, as noted by Sport RBC.UA with reference to the player's post. In his farewell message, Messi admitted that making this decision had been extremely difficult: “This decision has caused and continues to cause me pain, but I understand that now is the time. I have given everything down to the last drop, I have nothing left to give, and besides, wonderful young players are coming up who deserve their place.”
A Decision He Had Been Postponing
According to Messi himself, the idea of leaving the national team was born immediately after the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina lost to Spain 0:1 in extra time. However, the final factor that convinced Lionel to publicly announce his decision was the death of his father. It was precisely the combination of emotional burnout after the lost final and personal grief, he said, that made the farewell inevitable.
Numbers That Will Remain in History
Messi represented the national team from 2005. Over 21 years in the Albiceleste, he played 207 matches, scored 125 goals, and provided 68 assists. To his credit are the 2022 World Cup title, two Copa America trophies (2021 and 2024), and the status of a finalist at the 2014 and 2026 World Cups. At his final World Cup, the 2026 tournament, the 39-year-old captain recorded 8 goals and 4 assists, placing him among the top scorers in the history of the World Cup.
What's Next for the Albiceleste
Now Messi intends to support the national team from the stands. The next major tournament for Argentina is set to be the 2028 Copa America, which will take place without its historic captain. Thus, the era in which Messi was not just a leader but a symbol of the entire Argentine national team has officially come to an end.
