Lionel Messi Announces Retirement From Argentina National Team After 20 Years

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, ending a 20-year career with the Argentina national team.

In an emotional message shared on August 31, Messi said the decision had been painful but that he understood the time had come to bring this chapter of his career to an end.

He said he had always given everything for the Argentina shirt, not only during the successful final years of his international career, but throughout his entire time with the national team.

Messi added that he felt he had nothing more to give and pointed to the talented younger players coming through who deserve the opportunity to represent Argentina.

He thanked supporters for the affection they had shown him over the past 20 years and said he would now become another fan, supporting the national team from outside the squad.

Messi also thanked his family for accompanying him throughout what he described as a beautiful but difficult journey, as well as the coaches, teammates and officials he worked with during his international career.

He said he leaves with pride in the memorable moments he and his teammates were able to give Argentina’s supporters.

Messi revealed at the end of his statement that he had actually written the message on July 21, two days after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

He added that following the recent death of his father, Jorge Messi, he was even more convinced that retirement was the right decision.

Messi made his senior Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América titles, becoming one of the defining figures in the national team’s history. 

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