The legendary football player Lionel Messi announced his international retirement on Monday, August 31, 2026.
On his Instagram handle, the footballer shared a picture with handwritten notes in Spanish, confirming that he is retiring from Argentina’s national team at age 39.
Announcing his retirement, Messi penned down how the decision still hurts him: “After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the Argentina national team. It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deep down — but I understand that the time has come.”
Expressing his emotions for the game, he said, “I swear to you that I always gave it my all — not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football. Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”
Sharing his gratefulness, Messi said, “Thank you for all the affection over these past 20 years. I will miss hearing you from the pitch so much. Now I’ll be just one of you, cheering and supporting from the outside (through the good times and the bad — especially the bad). Thank you to my family for always being there and for accompanying me on this journey—so beautiful yet so difficult. Thank you to every coach, teammate, and official I’ve shared this path with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments. I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — alongside my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of. It was an incredible experience to live this with you all. I love you! Thank you, God, for making me Argentine. Let’s go, Argentina!”
At the end, Messi shared that he wrote these words back on July 21, but now he shared them: “I wrote these words on July 21st, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced than before.”
Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, 68, died on August 8 at a hospital in the central Argentina city of Rosario.
Messi played in six World Cups, winning the tournament in Qatar in 2022, and led Argentina to the 2026 final, where they lost to Spain.
