Messi retires from Argentina national team
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, following a 19-year successful spell playing for Argentina.
He made his debut for Argentina in 2005 against Hungary and he went on to win numerous trophies for his country.
Messi made the announcement with a statement on Monday on his social media account.
The statement read: “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 it my all, I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some really great young players coming through behind me who deserve their chance.
“Today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced than before.
“Thank you for all the love over the past 20 years,” he added in his message, addressing supporters. “I’m going to miss hearing you from the pitch so much.
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“Now I’ll be just one of you, always cheering and supporting from the sidelines.
“I’m leaving with the peace of mind and pride of having given you, together with my team-mates, moments we’d only dreamed of.
“It was incredible to have experienced this with you all. I love you!”
Messi scored 125 goals in 207 appearances, making him Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player.
He led his country to three World Cup finals in 2014, 2022 and 2026, emerging victorious in Qatar 2022 for his first-ever World Cup glory.
He won four major trophies for Argentina, including two Copa America trophies, one World Cup and the Finalissima trophy.
Messi bowed out after he led the team to the 2026 World Cup final which they lost to Spain in North America.
He is the second highest goal scorer in the history of the tournament with 21 goals, one behind Kylian Mbappe.
