BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA / RankWire.AI / – Lionel Messi has retired from international football, ending a 21-year career with Argentina’s senior national team. The 39-year-old finishes with 207 appearances and 125 goals, both national records. Messi played in six World Cups and reached three finals during his international career. He won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and lifted the Copa América in 2021 and 2024. His retirement announcement came on August 31, 2026, following Argentina’s latest World Cup campaign.
Messi’s final international tournament ended with Argentina reaching the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey. Spain won the title match 1-0 after extra time. The appearance gave Messi a third World Cup final after 2014 and 2022. He had written his retirement message on July 21, two days after the final. Messi later published the message after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, in August. He thanked those who supported him throughout his long Argentina career.
The final stretch of Messi’s international career produced a sustained run of major trophies. Argentina won the Copa América in 2021, giving Messi his first senior international championship. The team then captured the Finalissima in 2022 before winning the World Cup later that year. Argentina added another Copa América title in 2024. Those victories followed years in which Messi and Argentina reached major finals without lifting the trophy. His closing international years therefore included several of the country’s most important recent achievements.
International career closes with historic records
Messi made his senior Argentina debut in 2005 when he was 18 years old. He developed into the country’s all-time leader in both appearances and goals. His World Cup career began in 2006 and continued through the 2026 tournament. Messi also won the World Cup Golden Ball in 2014 and 2022. He became the first player to receive the tournament’s top individual award twice. His international record combines longevity, scoring output and major titles across more than two decades.
The Argentine Football Association recognized Messi’s departure after a national team career that included years as captain. Messi had previously announced his international retirement after the 2016 Copa América Centenario final. He returned later that year and continued representing Argentina for another decade. That second phase brought the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima and the 2022 World Cup. It also included the 2024 Copa América title and Argentina’s return to the World Cup final in 2026.
Messi continues professional career with Inter Miami
Messi remains active at club level after ending his international career. Inter Miami has him under contract through the end of the 2028 Major League Soccer season. His retirement announcement followed another productive performance in league play. Messi scored four goals and supplied an assist in Miami’s 7-1 victory over CF Montréal on August 29. The match marked his first four-goal regular-season performance in MLS. It also increased his 2026 league total to 18 goals before the international retirement announcement.
Messi leaves Argentina with the most appearances and goals in the history of the national team. His senior career stretched from 2005 through the 2026 World Cup final. During that period, he represented Argentina across six World Cups and numerous Copa América tournaments. He ultimately captained his country to the World Cup and two Copa América titles. His retirement closes an international career defined by records, major championships and exceptional longevity, while his professional playing career continues in Major League Soccer.