Entertainment

Lionel Messi announces retirement from Argentina national team

The 39-year-old star ends his two-decade international career after leading Argentina to a World Cup victory in 2022 and two Copa América titles.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 18:23 UTC11 reports

The short version

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on Monday after a two-decade career with the Argentina national team.
Messi stated he wrote his retirement letter two days after Argentina lost to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, but delayed publishing it following the illness and August death of his father.
The 39-year-old, who captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will continue playing club soccer for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on August 31, 2026, via an Instagram post.[NPR · The Washington Post]
Messi stated he wrote his retirement message on July 21, two days after Argentina's loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.[PBS NewsHour · NPR · BBC News]
The announcement was delayed while Messi mourned the death of his father, Jorge, who passed away on August 8.[NPR · Associated Press · BBC News]
Messi led Argentina to a World Cup title in 2022 and Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024.[Deutsche Welle · NPR · Fox News]
Messi will continue playing club soccer for MLS team Inter Miami.[NBC News · NPR · BBC News]

Outlets published varying international career statistics for Messi, with several sources reporting 125 goals in 207 caps, while others cited 98 goals in 142 matches.[NBC News · NPR · Fox News · BBC News]