--- title: "“I Gave Everything Down to the Last Drop”: Messi Officially Retires from the Argentina National Team" description: "Lionel Messi has officially announced his retirement from the Argentina national team after the loss in the 2026 World Cup final. The 39-year-old captain played 207 matches and scored 125 goals for the national team." date: 2026-08-31T16:02:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/messi-retires-from-argentina-national-team tags: [messi, argentina-national-team, world-cup-2026, football, retirement] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “I Gave Everything Down to the Last Drop”: Messi Officially Retires from the Argentina National Team ![Lionel Messi in the Argentina national team jersey wearing a World Cup medal as he bids farewell to his international career](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/31/messi-zavershenie-kareryi-v-sbornoy-argentiny/messi-zavershenie-kareryi-v-sbornoy-argentiny-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team in his Instagram - The decision was made after the 2026 World Cup final (0:1 vs Spain in extra time), with the death of his father being the final factor - Since 2005, Messi has played 207 matches, scored 125 goals, and provided 68 assists for the national team - His achievements include the 2022 World Cup, the 2021 and 2024 Copa America, and the 2014 and 2026 World Cup finals; at the 2026 World Cup he recorded 8 goals and 4 assists 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. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [“I Gave Everything”: Messi Officially Puts an End to His National Team Career](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/ya-viddav-use-messi-ofitsiyno-postaviv-krapku-1788191997.html) - Первичный источник: цитата из Instagram Месси, статистика 207 матчей/125 голов/68 передач, финал ЧМ-2026 0:1 со Spain, смерть отца как финальный фактор. - [Lionel Messi Announces His Retirement from the Argentina National Team](https://steppenews.kz/news/lionel-messi-obyavil-o-zavershenii-karery-v-sbornoj-argentiny/) - Независимое подтверждение факта объявления о завершении карьеры в национальной команде. - [Arshavin's Reaction to Messi's International Retirement](https://bombardir.ru/news/826016-reakciya-arshavina-na-zavershenie-mezhdunarodnoy-karery-messi) - Подтверждает факт завершения международной карьеры; содержит реакцию коллег, не противоречит основным цифрам. - [“This Is My Pain”: Messi Says a Final Goodbye to the Argentina National Team](https://www.tut-news.ru/v-mire/eto-moya-bol-messi-navsegda-proshchaetsya-so-sbornoy-argentiny) - Подтверждает эмоциональную окраску прощального обращения и факт ухода из сборной. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why did Messi retire from the national team? **A:** According to him, the decision was made after the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina lost to Spain 0:1 in extra time, with the death of his father being the final factor. ### Q: What are Messi's achievements with the Argentina national team? **A:** 207 matches, 125 goals, and 68 assists since 2005; 2022 World Cup champion, two-time Copa America winner (2021, 2024), and finalist at the 2014 and 2026 World Cups. ### Q: What will happen to the Argentina national team next? **A:** Messi will support the team from the stands. The next major tournament for Argentina is set to be the 2028 Copa America.