Lionel Messi announces retirement from Argentina national team

Lionel Messi said Monday that he is retiring from the Argentina men’s national team, announcing the decision in a post on his verified Instagram account. ESPN reproduced the statement from Instagram, including Messi’s declaration: “I am retiring from the National Team.”

The post was presented with a photo of what appeared to be a handwritten notebook entry. In it, Messi said he had written the message on July 21, 2026, which he described as two days after the World Cup final, but chose not to publish it then. In a footnote reproduced by ESPN, he wrote: “*I wrote these words on July 21st, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced than before.” Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, died in Rosario on Aug. 8.

The announcement closes one of the most consequential international careers in men’s soccer. Messi made his senior debut for Argentina in 2005 and leaves as the country’s all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player, ending a national-team run that spanned more than two decades.

His career with Argentina included the biggest title of all: the 2022 World Cup, which he won as captain. He also helped lead Argentina to Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, part of a period in which the national team turned near-misses into major tournament victories.

Messi’s retirement comes after Argentina’s run to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Argentina lost 1-0 after extra time to Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with Messi captaining the side in the tournament. The timing of his statement indicates he made the decision in the immediate aftermath of that defeat and later said his father’s death reinforced it.

This is the second time Messi has formally announced his retirement from international soccer. He also stepped away after the 2016 Copa América final before returning to the team. In Monday’s post, as reproduced by ESPN, Messi also wrote: “I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the National Team.”