Following Argentina’s loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final last month, Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international soccer.
In a post shared on Instagram on Monday (Aug. 31), the 39-year-old soccer star confirmed that he won’t be joining the Argentina national team for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. Messi holds the distinction of being the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of the team, and played in 34 matches during his career across six FIFA World Cup tournaments.
“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,” he wrote, per ESPN. “It was a decision that hurt—and still hurts deep down—but I understand that the time has come. 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.”
Messi, who helped bring Argentina to a FIFA World Cup victory in 2022, added that he “loved” playing for the national team but found that he has “nothing left to give,” and shouted out the young players who “deserve” their chance to shine.
“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),” he continued. “Thank you to my family for always being there, 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.”
At the end of the announcement, he revealed that he wrote his handwritten note confirming his retirement just two days after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. He added that he was certain of his retirement after his father, Jorge Messi, passed away on Aug. 8 at the age of 68.
Messi previously announced his intention to retire from international soccer in 2016 following the national team’s defeat to Chile at the Copa América final, but he was eventually convinced to return to the pitch for the 2018 FIFA World Cup following a nationwide campaign in Argentina.
Despite his exit from international soccer, he signed a contract extension with Inter Miami last year that will see him stay with the club through to 2028, at which point he’ll be 41. Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the fourth-oldest soccer star to play in a FIFA World Cup at 41 years old, also announced his retirement from the Portugal national team earlier this year.
