Entertainment

Lionel Messi announces retirement from international football at age 39

The forward steps away from the Argentina national team as its all-time leading scorer following the death of his father.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 19:26 UTC1 reports

The short version

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football after more than two decades playing for Argentina.
The 39-year-old indicated his decision followed the recent death of his father, Jorge.
Messi leaves international duty as Argentina's top scorer and most-capped player, with 125 goals in 207 appearances.
He remains under contract with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami through 2028.

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football in an Instagram post after more than 20 years with Argentina.[BBC News]
Messi cited the recent death of his father, Jorge, as a key reason for evaluating his future in football.[BBC News]
Messi finishes his international career with 125 goals in 207 appearances, making him Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player.[BBC News]
Across his club and international career, Messi has accumulated 921 total goals.[BBC News]
Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028.[BBC News]

It remains unclear how much longer Messi intends to continue playing professional club football, following statements indicating he was unsure how much longer he would play.[BBC News]