Gambiaj.com – (MIAMI, Florida) – Football legend Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football with Argentina, bringing an end to a remarkable career with the national team that included winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Messi announced his decision in a post on Instagram on Monday, August 31, saying the decision had come after considerable reflection following Argentina’s recent World Cup final defeat.
“Time has passed since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to announce to all of you that I am retiring from the national team,” the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner wrote.
“It is a decision that still hurts deeply inside me, but I understand that the time has come.”
“I Have Nothing Left to Give”
The 39-year-old said retiring from international football was extremely painful but necessary, adding that a new generation of players deserved their opportunity with the Albiceleste.
“I have emptied myself; I have nothing left to give, and, in addition, great young players are coming through who deserve to be there,” Messi said.
Messi remains active at club level with Inter Miami CF in the United States.
The announcement comes after a difficult period for the Argentine star, including Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the World Cup final on July 19 in New York and the recent death of his father and agent, Jorge Messi, at the age of 68.
In mid-August, Messi had said he did not see himself playing “for much longer.”
A Historic Argentine Career
Messi was first called up to the Argentina national team in 2005 and went on to make 207 appearances, becoming both the country’s most-capped player and its all-time leading scorer.
His international career reached its pinnacle in 2022 when he led Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar, defeating France in a dramatic final.
He also won the Copa América twice, lifting the continental trophy in 2021 and again in 2024.
This is not the first time Messi has announced his international retirement. He initially stepped away from the national team in 2016 but later reversed his decision, returning for the 2018 World Cup before eventually achieving his long-awaited World Cup triumph four years later in Qatar.
His latest announcement now appears to bring the curtain down on one of the most successful international careers in football history.
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