Lionel Messi has declared his retirement from the Argentina national team, stating that the passing of his father has reinforced his belief that it is time to conclude his international career.
The captain of Argentina shared his decision in a heartfelt statement, mentioning that he had been contemplating retirement since the nation’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19.
“Thank you for all the love over these 20 years. He played a pivotal role in securing Argentina’s victories in the 2021 and 2024 Copa América tournaments, the 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, in addition to guiding the nation to the final of the 2026 World Cup. Messi expressed that the decision brought him significant anguish, yet he affirmed that he believed it was time to depart from the national team. The forward also reminisced about his twenty years with the national team, expressing gratitude to his family, coaches, teammates, and officials who accompanied him on this journey. I will miss hearing from you from the inside a lot. Now I will be one of you, always cheering and supporting from the outside.
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts in my soul, but I understand that this is the moment,” Messi said.
