Entertainment
Lionel Messi retires from international football with Argentina
The 39-year-old forward concludes a 21-year international career featuring a World Cup victory and two Copa America titles.
The short version
- Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 39.
- His 21-year tenure with Argentina concluded with a record-setting career that included winning the 2022 World Cup and back-to-back Copa America titles.
- Messi retires holding multiple historic benchmarks, including the most World Cup appearances and the most international goals for Argentina.
Key facts
- Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football on Monday at the age of 39.[Al Jazeera]
- Messi's international career spanned 21 years, beginning with his debut against Hungary in August 2005.[Al Jazeera]
- He won the FIFA World Cup once in 2022 and reached the final in both 2014 and 2026.[Al Jazeera]
- Messi guided Argentina to back-to-back Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, and won an Olympic gold medal in 2008.[Al Jazeera]
- He holds several individual records, including the most World Cup appearances (34), most international caps for Argentina (207), and most international goals for Argentina (125).[Al Jazeera]