Entertainment

Lionel Messi retires from international football at age 39

The Argentine star concludes his national team career ten years after briefly stepping away in 2016.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 20:24 UTC1 reports

The short version

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football at age 39, ending a decorated career as Argentina's all-time top scorer and most-capped player.
The announcement comes ten years after Messi briefly retired from international play in 2016 before reversing his decision following public and political pleas.
During his final decade with the national team, Messi captained Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América tournaments before reaching the 2026 World Cup final.
A potential official farewell match in Buenos Aires may be considered once stadium capacity sanctions against Argentina are resolved.

Lionel Messi has retired from international football as Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player.[BBC News]
Messi originally announced his retirement from the national team in June 2016 after losing the Copa América final to Chile, but reversed the decision six weeks later.[BBC News]
Following his 2016 return, Messi won four major international trophies, including the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup.[BBC News]
Messi played in his sixth World Cup in 2026, where Argentina lost in the final to Spain at MetLife Stadium.[BBC News]

It is uncertain whether Messi will participate in an official farewell match in Argentina once home stadium crowd restrictions end.[BBC News]