Lionel Messi said on Monday he was retiring from international football after leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final in July. The 39-year-old forward who won the World Cup in 2022 and dragged his nation to the final in the United States only to lose to Spain, said the decision had been painful. “It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul but I understand that it is the right time,” Messi wrote on Instagram. “I swear I always gave everything, not just in the last few years when we won everything but before that too, and I always fought and gave my all for this shirt,” he added. Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory four years ago by winning the final against France in a penalty shootout in Doha, but his side were defeated 1-0 by a superior Spain side in the 2026 final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Following the death of his father Jorge in August, Messi had said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play football of any sort for “much longer”. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you, I don’t know how to go on. I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer,” he said then. Messi’s contract with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2028 season. He has played 207 times for Argentina and is also Argentina’s leading scorer, with 125 goals. Messi also won two Copa Americas during his 21-year international career. In this year’s finals, Messi had inspired Argentina to another final by scoring eight goals and also providing two assists in the dramatic late comeback against England in the semi-finals. But the dream of lifting the trophy again proved one match too far as the South Americans were defeated by Spain in the MetLife Stadium in a match that ended in ugly scenes. Midfielder Leandro Paredes and several of his Argentina team-mates have received bans and fines for their part in clashes with Spain players after the final, Paredes for grabbing Eric Garcia by the throat and wrestling Gavi to the ground. Messi, meanwhile, was pictured in tears after receiving his loser’s medal. He said afterwards that the pain of defeat was “immense” and that it would “take a long time for this wound to heal”. In his statement on Monday, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner said it was time for a new generation of Argentina players to take up the torch. “I love, I loved, and I will always love being on the national team,” he wrote. “I gave everything I had, I have nothing more to give, and besides, there are some very talented young players coming up behind me who deserve to be there.”
