Lionel Messi, 39, has confirmed his retirement from international soccer, bringing an end to a remarkable 20-year career with the Argentina national team. ESPN reported that Messi made the announcement in a handwritten notebook entry on Instagram, stating that he is retiring after giving it a lot of thought. The post also revealed that Messi's decision was influenced by the recent passing of his father, Jorge Messi, who died on August 8 at the age of 68.
Messi's decision to retire comes after a successful career with Argentina, where he won the World Cup in 2022 and led the team to the final in 2026, losing to Spain. He is the country's all-time leading goal scorer and most capped player, with 124 goals in 203 games. The Argentina captain has also won numerous other titles, including the 2021 Copa América and the 2024 Copa América.
The social media post from Messi expressed his gratitude to his family, coaches, teammates, and officials for their support throughout his career. He also thanked the fans for their affection over the past 20 years, stating that he will miss hearing them from the pitch.