Lionel Messi Retires from Argentina After 21-Year International Career
Lionel Messi has retired from Argentina duty after 21 years, ending an extraordinary international career with 208 appearances, 126 goals, two Copa América titles and a World Cup triumph.
Lionel Messi has officially brought the curtain down on his remarkable international career with Argentina, ending a 21-year journey that transformed him from a heavily criticised young talent into one of the most celebrated figures in the country's football history.
The 39-year-old captain made his final appearance for the Argentina national football team on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, in a farewell friendly against Benin at Buenos Aires' Monumental Stadium.
In a fitting final performance, Messi scored from the penalty spot and provided two assists as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 before more than 85,000 emotional supporters. The match marked his 208th appearance and 126th goal for the national team. (AP News)
An emotional farewell
The occasion was less about the result than celebrating the end of an extraordinary chapter.
Messi entered the Monumental accompanied by his children, while his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and mother, Celia Cuccittini, watched from the stands. He struggled to contain his emotions before and during the Argentine national anthem.
The stadium also held a special tribute to the legendary No. 10. The match was briefly stopped in the 10th minute, corresponding with Messi's famous shirt number, allowing supporters to give him a prolonged standing ovation.
At the final whistle, a drone display illuminated the Buenos Aires sky with images of Messi as fans and teammates celebrated his contribution to Argentine football.
Messi later addressed the crowd, describing his departure from Argentina as the saddest day of his football career.
He said representing Argentina for more than two decades had been an enormous source of pride and acknowledged that although he wanted to continue playing for the national team, he believed the time had come to step aside. (The Guardian)
Retirement announced after World Cup disappointment
Messi announced his international retirement on August 31, shortly after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Argentina lost the final 1-0 after extra time, ending Messi's hopes of adding another World Cup title to the trophy he won in Qatar four years earlier.
In his farewell message published through the Argentine Football Association, Messi said the decision was painful but that he understood the time had come.
He also pointed to the emergence of younger players who deserved opportunities with the national team. (AFA Official Site)
The decision came after an extraordinary World Cup campaign in which Messi remained an important contributor despite being 39. He scored eight goals and provided four assists during Argentina's run to the final.
From criticism to national icon
Messi's relationship with Argentina was not always as affectionate as it is today.
When he emerged as a teenager at Barcelona, some Argentine supporters questioned his connection to the country because he had moved to Spain at the age of 13 and developed his football career there.
His early years with the national team were particularly difficult. Critics accused him of failing to reproduce his extraordinary club performances for Argentina and compared him unfavourably with Diego Maradona.
Messi reached three major international finals between 2014 and 2016 without winning one. Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and then suffered consecutive Copa América final defeats to Chile.
After the 2016 Copa América final, Messi briefly announced his retirement from international football. Argentine supporters subsequently appealed for him to return, and he eventually reversed the decision.
That moment became an important turning point in the relationship between Messi and his country.
The trophies changed everything
The breakthrough finally arrived at the 2021 Copa América, when Argentina defeated Brazil in the final to give Messi his first major senior international trophy.
A year later came the defining achievement of his career.
Messi captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring seven goals during the tournament and converting a penalty in the final against France before Argentina eventually won the dramatic match on penalties.
The triumph ended Argentina's 36-year wait for another World Cup and removed one of the biggest criticisms that had followed Messi throughout his career.
Argentina subsequently won the 2024 Copa América, giving Messi another major international title.
Although the 2026 World Cup ended in disappointment, Messi's international legacy had already been secured. (Al Jazeera)
Argentina's greatest goalscorer
Messi retires from international football as Argentina's most-capped player and leading goalscorer.
Across his 21-year senior career, he accumulated 208 appearances and 126 goals, figures that place him at the top of the country's all-time records.
His international career also included six World Cup tournaments, beginning in Germany in 2006 and concluding with the 2026 edition.
His longevity is particularly remarkable considering that his first senior appearance for Argentina came in 2005, meaning he represented the country across more than two decades of changing generations, managers and playing styles.
A new era for Argentina
Messi's departure leaves Argentina without the player who has been the centre of its national-team identity for much of the past two decades.
The challenge now falls on Lionel Scaloni and the emerging generation to build an Argentina capable of competing without its legendary captain.
Players such as Nico Paz and Franco Mastantuono are among the younger talents expected to play increasingly important roles as the national team moves forward.
For Argentina, however, replacing Messi will mean more than finding another goalscorer or No. 10. His leadership, creativity, experience and emotional importance to the team are difficult qualities to reproduce.
Messi's legacy
Messi leaves international football with the major honours that once appeared to be missing from his extraordinary résumé.
He won the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup, while also guiding Argentina to the 2022 Finalissima and the 2026 World Cup final.
His retirement therefore represents the end of one of the longest and most consequential careers in Argentine football.
Yet Messi is not retiring from football altogether. He remains under contract with Inter Miami through the 2028 MLS season, meaning supporters will still have the opportunity to watch him play at club level.
For Argentina, though, the era is over.
The boy from Rosario who once struggled to win over his own country's supporters leaves as its undisputed football icon. After years of disappointment, criticism and near misses, Messi eventually gave Argentina its most coveted prize and created memories that will remain part of the nation's sporting history for generations.
His final words at the Monumental captured the emotional weight of the moment: he may no longer wear Argentina's shirt, but he intends to remain one of its supporters.