Kolkata: The first time he announced retirement from international football, it lasted less than three months. If it feels way more real this time it is because between those torment-riddled days from June 27 to September 1 in 2016 and now, Lionel Messi has won everything football has to offer, played more than double the number of international matches Diego Maradona did, on way to equalling the achievements of the patron saint of Argentina men’s football team.
He is also 39 and had before Monday’s announcement at least twice hinted that the end was near. The first was before the 2026 World Cup final and then after his father Jorge died earlier this month when he said, “my legs couldn’t go on anymore.”
And yet it was not an easy decision, he said. Ending a saga that began against Hungary in 2005 – with a red card -- not long after winning the world under-20 championship and had 207 matches for Argentina could not have been.
Deep Dive
What prompted Lionel Messi's retirement from the Argentina national team?
How did Messi's father's death affect his decision to retire?
What were Messi's significant achievements before retiring from the national team?
“It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come,” Messi said. “Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”
After his father’s death, Messi had said: “I don’t know what I am going to do without you, I don’t know how to go on.” Argentina has five Nobel laureates and it is the country of the short story writer and polyglot Jorge Luis Borges. But for the world at large, it is the men’s football team Argentina are known for. Messi amplified what Maradona did in the 91 times he represented Argentina: get most of the world to love them. If dropping Maradona’s name released Argentine tourists from the clutches of Egyptian bandits, in Qatar head coach Lionel Scaloni thanked Bangladesh for backing Argentina.
{{/usCountry}}After his father’s death, Messi had said: “I don’t know what I am going to do without you, I don’t know how to go on.” Argentina has five Nobel laureates and it is the country of the short story writer and polyglot Jorge Luis Borges. But for the world at large, it is the men’s football team Argentina are known for. Messi amplified what Maradona did in the 91 times he represented Argentina: get most of the world to love them. If dropping Maradona’s name released Argentine tourists from the clutches of Egyptian bandits, in Qatar head coach Lionel Scaloni thanked Bangladesh for backing Argentina.
{{/usCountry}}So, when Messi’s father died, the world mourned, a private grief triggered a public outpouring. But for Jorge putting his life on hold and taking his son to Barcelona, the world wouldn’t have seen Lionel Messi. Argentina acknowledged that and so did the rest of the world. “You were by my side from the beginning; there was so little left until the end,” Messi said. “I only played football and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I will keep doing it for much longer.”
Messi has returned to playing for Inter Miami where he has a contract till 2028. That is also when the next Copa America is due but Messi has decided that at 41, he didn’t want to be around when Argentina attempt a hattrick of titles. Cristiano Ronaldo is 41 now and he has also said that 2026-27 would “probably” be his last year as a player. Between them, Messi and Ronaldo won every Ballon d’Or from 2008 to 2017 and in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Ronaldo won his first international tournament before Messi and has more goals for his country (146 to Messi’s 125) but the Argentine has since left him behind with a World Cup and two Copa America titles. Messi’s World Cup legacy will take some beating. No one has played as many finals matches (34) and only one player, Kylian Mbappe, has scored more World Cup goals than Messi’s 21. His 33 goal contributions in the World Cup helped Argentina to three final appearances (only Cafu has that many).
Ten goal contributions (7 goals, three assists) came in the edition Argentina won to end a 36-year wait. In 15 games of the last two editions of the World Cup that he played, Messi was adjudged player of the match in 10. He is the only player to have won the Golden Ball twice.
It ended with Argentina being outplayed by Spain; Messi touching the ball only 46 times. And a World Cup career that began with a misplaced pass against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 finished with Messi going gently into the night. That was the last the world saw Messi in an Argentina shirt. Sometimes, even the greatest do not get the ending they want. Doesn’t matter. “He is pure history. History. A legend,” Scaloni has said.
Messi’s announcement came hours after Novak Djokovic lost in the US Open first round. The last time that happened was in the year Messi played his first World Cup. Djokovic hasn’t yet spoken the r-word but men’s tennis has new stars. As Messi has said, Argentina’s football team are not lacking in them either. Time to make way, time to end a journey as a captain that began in a friendly against Venezuela in Kolkata.
“Thank you for all the love over these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you all from the pitch so much. Now I’ll be just one of you, always cheering you on and supporting you from the sidelines (through thick and thin – especially the tough times). … “Thank you, God, for making me Argentine. Vamos Argentina.”