Lionel Messi, aged 39, has announced his retirement from international football with Argentina, officially closing the chapter on a long and highly successful international career. Messi leaves as one of the most successful players ever to wear the Argentina shirt, having recorded a total of 193 goal contributions in 207 appearances for his country.
During his time with Argentina, Messi won several major titles, including the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Copa América 2021, Finalissima 2022, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Copa América 2024. Winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 was the pinnacle of his international career, following years of waiting for the trophy and seeing Argentina reach the World Cup final on several occasions.
Messi also leaves behind a remarkable collection of records and individual honours. He played in three World Cup finals, winning one in 2022, while being named the tournament’s best player twice. He also won the FIFA U-20 World Cup as a youngster, an Olympic gold medal with the U23 squad, one Finalissima and two Copa América titles. At the 2021 Copa América, he finished as the tournament’s top scorer, while also winning the MVP award and finishing as the top scorer at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
For football fans around the world, Messi’s retirement from Argentina marks the end of a unique era. Peter Drury’s famous words after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup have remained part of football history, describing how a little boy from Rosario had reached the summit of world football.
Messi now leaves the national team having written his name into history with indelible ink. Thank you, Lionel Messi, for all the memories, goals, records, joy and history you allowed us to witness.
