Lionel Messi retires from international football after over 20-year career with Argentina
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, concluding a career with Argentina that began with the U-20 team and ended as the senior national team captain. Messi stated he had given his country his best and had "nothing more to give," a decision made after the 2026 World Cup final and solidified following his father's death. His career highlights include leading Argentina to the 2021 Copa Am茅rica, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and 2024 Copa Am茅rica titles. He was directly involved in 185 goals across 207 matches, scoring 125 goals and providing 60 assists. Messi featured in six World Cup tournaments, holding records for most World Cup appearances 34, most matches won 23, and most assists 12. He is the only player to have started three World Cup finals 2014, 2022, 2026 and was the oldest outfield player in the 2026 final at 39 years and 25 days. Messi scored 35 goals across major tournaments and achieved 11 international hat-tricks. His World Cup goal tally reached 21, briefly holding the men's all-time record during the 2026 tournament. Despite these achievements, his career included some challenging moments, such as missing two penalties in a single World Cup edition in 2026 and being sent off within a minute of his debut in 2005. He also previously announced his retirement in 2016 before reversing the decision. His international career concluded with a World Cup final defeat.
