Messi retires from international football after World Cup final defeat to Spain

Lionel Messi has retired from international football, ending a 20-year Argentina career that brought a 2022 World Cup triumph but concluded in a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 final.

The 39-year-old announced the decision on Instagram, writing: “After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am 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 retires as Argentina’s most decorated modern era player, having made 207 international appearances — the second most by any men’s footballer in history — and scored 125 goals. He had hoped to lead Argentina to back-to-back World Cup titles after captaining the side to glory in Qatar four years ago, a tournament in which he was named player of the tournament.

His World Cup record remains extraordinary. He finishes as the second-highest scorer in the tournament’s history, having surpassed Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record alongside Kylian Mbappé during the 2026 edition, with Mbappé ultimately finishing ahead of him on the all-time list.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner earned his first World Cup Golden Ball in 2014 after Argentina’s defeat to Germany in the final — the first of three final appearances before the 2022 triumph. His 2026 campaign ended the same way his 2014 did: on the losing side against a European opponent, this time Spain.

Messi will continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where he has played since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2023. His international retirement draws the curtain on one of the most decorated careers in football history, though the manner of its ending — a narrow defeat in a World Cup final — will ensure the debate over what might have been lingers for years.