Messi bows out: Argentina icon retires from international football

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football.

Messi led his country to World Cup glory in 2022, while also winning the Copa America in 2021 and 2024.

The 39-year-old, whose father Jorge recently passed away, scored 125 goals in 207 appearances for La Albiceleste, leading in both categories for his country, with his final strike coming in their dramatic World Cup last-16 victory over Egypt this summer.

Messi’s final game for Argentina ended in a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final in July, and he revealed his decision to retire from international duty came soon after that loss.

“After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team,” Messi posted on his Instagram account.

“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.

“I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.

“There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give.

“I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my team-mates we gave you moments we once dreamed of. It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you!

“I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced of this decision than before.”

Messi bows out with an outstanding record at major international competitions.

He and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only men to feature at six different editions of the World Cup.

No player has directly contributed to more goals at the World Cup on record (since 1966) than Messi (33 – 21 goals and 12 assists), who has featured in the most games at the finals (34).

Messi’s 12 assists in the competition are also the most of any player, four more than the great Diego Maradona (eight), while only Kylian Mbappe (22) has netted more often, though Messi was the first to surpass Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16.

The Inter Miami star has also recorded the most goal involvements in Copa America history, scoring 14 and providing 18 assists in 39 games.

No player on record has registered more assists than Messi at the Copa America, while his goals are the joint-fifth most in the competition.

Messi has retired from international football previously, but he subsequently reversed that decision to feature at the 2018 World Cup.

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