Following the heartbreaking 1-0 World Cup final loss to Spain and the recent passing of his father, Jorge, Lionel Messi has officially retired from international football.

Lionel Messi has ended his career with the Argentine national team at 39, after nearly two decades representing the country. Messi, who played in six World Cups, won the tournament in Qatar 2022 and led Argentina to the final in 2026, losing to Spain.

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“After giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring,” Messi said on Monday (August 31).

“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,” Messi said on his official Instagram account.

“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.”

An emotional end to a legendary era for Argentina.