Lionel Messi has officially announced his retirement from international football, confirming that he will no longer play for the Argentina national team. The 39-year-old made the announcement on August 31, 2026, following Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Messi said he had written his farewell message on July 21, two days after the final, but recent events involving his father made him even more certain about the decision.
Messi leaves Argentina after more than two decades, having become the country's most-capped player and all-time leading scorer with 207 appearances and 125 goals.
Lionel Messi’s Full Retirement Statement
Messi shared an emotional message reflecting on his 20 years with Argentina:
Messi shared an emotional message reflecting on his 20 years with Argentina:
“I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final… today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced of this decision than before”.
“After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team.
"It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.
"I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.
"There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give.
"Also, there are great young players coming through who deserve to be here.
"Thank you for all the love during these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you from the inside. Now I’ll be one of you, always supporting from the outside, in the good times and even more in the bad ones.
"Thank you to my family for always being there and for being with me throughout this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to every coach, teammate and director I had the chance to share it with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments.
"I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of. It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you!
"Thank you God for making me Argentine.
"Vamos Argentina!”
Messi's statement brings an emotional conclusion to a career that transformed Argentina's fortunes. He won the 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa América, finally delivering the major international trophies that had eluded him for much of his career.
Lionel Messi Argentina Stats
Messi made his Argentina senior debut against Hungary on August 17, 2005, and went on to make a record 207 appearances. He scored 125 goals, making him Argentina's all-time top scorer.
Messi’s Argentina scoring statistics
Appearances: 207
Goals: 125
International hat-tricks: 11
Two-goal games: 15
Five-goal games: 1
World Cup goals: 21
World Cup qualifying goals: 36
Copa América goals: 14
Official friendly goals: 54
Most goals against one opponent: 11 vs Bolivia
Most goals at one stadium: 19 at Estadio Monumental
Best Argentina calendar year: 18 goals in 2022
Messi surpassed Gabriel Batistuta's previous Argentina record of 54 goals in 2016. He later moved beyond Pelé's South American men's international scoring record of 77 goals, reaching 125 by the end of his international career.
Lionel Messi’s 20 Records for Argentina
Here is the complete list of the major records Messi set or broke during his Argentina career:
Argentina’s all-time top scorer — 125 goals: Messi finishes comfortably ahead of every other Argentine international.
Argentina’s most-capped player — 207 appearances: He surpassed Javier Mascherano's previous record of 147 caps.
Argentina’s all-time leading assist provider: Messi finishes as Argentina's leading creator, with more than 65 assists.
Most World Cup tournaments played — 6: Messi featured at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
Most World Cup matches played: Messi surpassed Lothar Matthäus' previous record of 25 appearances.
Most World Cup appearances as captain: Messi holds the record for matches captained at the World Cup.
Most World Cup minutes played: He surpassed Paolo Maldini's previous mark of 2,217 minutes.
Second-highest World Cup scorer — 21 goals: Messi finished behind Kylian Mbappé on the all-time tournament scoring list.
Argentina’s leading World Cup scorer: His 21 World Cup goals are more than any other Argentine player.
Two-time World Cup Golden Ball winner: Messi won the award in both 2014 and 2022, becoming the only player to win it twice.
Goals in nine consecutive World Cup matches: Messi established a new record for scoring in nine straight World Cup matches.
First player to score at a World Cup in three different decades: His goals across 2006, later tournaments and 2026 created a unique record.
Oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick: Messi achieved the feat at 38 years and 357 days against Algeria in 2026.
Most Copa América appearances — 35+: Messi became the tournament's most-capped player.
Copa América’s all-time leading assist provider: Messi also owns the tournament's assists record.
First Argentina captain to win back-to-back Copa América titles: He lifted the trophy in 2021 and 2024.
Ended Argentina’s 28-year major-trophy drought: The 2021 Copa América ended Argentina's wait for a major senior men's title dating back to 1993.
Most goal contributions at a single World Cup since 1966 — 33: Messi recorded 33 combined goals and assists at the 2026 tournament.
Most World Cup knockout-stage assists since 1966 — 10: Messi established another modern-era tournament record.
World Cup title as Argentina captain: Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup, defeating France on penalties after a 3-3 final
Messi’s Argentina Legacy
Messi's international career began with immense expectations and periods of heartbreak, including defeats in the 2014 World Cup final and Copa América finals. His eventual transformation into Argentina's captain and trophy-winning leader became one of football's defining stories.
His retirement closes a remarkable international chapter: 207 appearances, 125 goals, multiple major trophies and an extraordinary collection of records. Messi will no longer wear the Argentina shirt competitively, but his impact on the national team is likely to remain unmatched for generations.
As he said in his farewell: “Thank you God for making me Argentine. Vamos Argentina!”
