Lionel Messi has confirmed he is retiring from the Argentina national team, closing the book on an era that made him his country’s most-capped and most-decorated player. The announcement lands weeks after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain, and days after the death of his father, Jorge.
The farewell letter
Messi shared the news in an open letter on Monday, saying he had written it on July 21, two days after the World Cup final. “It was a decision that hurt, and still hurts deep down, but I understand that the time has come,” he wrote. “I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”
He added that the loss of his father only made him more certain the time was right to walk away.
A career of records
The 39-year-old retires as Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player. He debuted in 2005, captained the side to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, and had earlier felt the sting of runner-up finishes in 2014 and this summer.
| Milestone | Number |
|---|---|
| International caps | 207 |
| International goals | 125 (Argentina record) |
| World Cup goals | 21 (second all time) |
| Ballon d’Or titles | 8 |
| Major titles with Argentina | World Cup 2022, 2x Copa America |
Only Cristiano Ronaldo, on 146, has scored more in men’s international football.
Not the end of Messi
This is not a full retirement. The forward remains under contract with Inter Miami through December 2028 and is expected to keep playing in Major League Soccer for years.
An era that hurt to close
For Filipino football fans who grew up on Messi, the farewell closes a two-decade arc that began when he made his Argentina debut in 2005. We traced the run-up to this summer’s final in our earlier look at Messi’s Argentina, and the sport keeps churning across the global transfer market, from Gabriel Jesus edging toward Barcelona to the next generation stepping forward.
