Argentina’s Lionel Messi Announces International Retirement

All good things must come to an end.

And sadly, the legendary Lionel Messi announced Monday that he is retiring from international soccer.

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In an Instagram post featuring a notebook entry written in Spanish, Messi confirmed his retirement from the Argentina national team at the age of 39. (RELATED: Novak Djokovic Suffers Mammoth Upset Against Mariano Navone In US Open 1st Round)

Over a career spanning six World Cups, Messi became a champion at the Qatar-based tournament in 2022, and then in 2026, when he led Argentina to a World Cup final where they lost to Spain.

The 2022 title was the country’s third overall and first in 36 years.

Before that, Messi was key to ending Argentina’s 28-year trophy drought by winning the Copa América in 2021, and went on to win another in 2024.

The captain of Argentina is the nation’s all-time leading goal scorer, recording 125 goals in 207 matches for the national team.

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

I’ll say this: taking Argentina to back-to-back World Cup finals in your late 30s is a grade-A way to end an international career. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for Messi to make this move.

Plus, he has nothing left to prove and zero loose ends. Over the years, we’ve watched him carry the impossible expectations of an entire nation on his shoulders, absorbing every heartbreak only to author the greatest late-career renaissance the sport has ever witnessed.

It’s a hell of a story, and as an Inter Miami fan, I’m extremely grateful that I get to see the rest of it.

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