Lionel Messi Ends Argentina Career After 207 Caps

BBC Sport reports that Lionel Messi has retired from international football, ending an Argentina career that began in 2005 and ultimately delivered the country’s long-awaited World Cup triumph. The 39-year-old announced the decision in a statement on Monday, saying the choice hurt but that he believed the time had come to step away from the national team.

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Messi leaves as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer. He registered 125 goals in 207 senior internationals, according to the BBC, and captained his country to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He also won two Copa America titles, completing a run of major success after several painful defeats earlier in his career.

In his retirement message, Messi said he had given everything he could to Argentina and felt there was nothing more for him to give. He also pointed to the quality of the younger players coming through and said they deserved their opportunities. Addressing supporters, he thanked them for two decades of backing and said he would continue to follow the team from the sidelines.

The decision follows Argentina’s defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. Messi said he wrote the retirement message on July 21, two days after that match, and became more certain about the decision following the death of his father, Jorge, earlier in August after a long illness. At the tournament, Messi scored eight goals and supplied four assists.

His international career started dramatically in a 2005 friendly against Hungary. Introduced as a substitute in the 63rd minute, Messi was sent off less than a minute later after his arm connected with defender Vilmos Vanczak. He later became one of the game’s defining international players, although his relationship with the national side included a brief retirement in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile on penalties. He subsequently reversed that decision.

Messi’s World Cup record closes with 21 goals, one behind France forward Kylian Mbappe in the BBC’s current all-time standings. He also accumulated 12 World Cup assists, including 10 in knockout matches. His playing career will continue at club level with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where his contract runs through the end of the 2028 season.