Messi Announces Retirement From Argentina National Team

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from the Argentina national team, describing the decision as painful and saying he believes the time is right to leave the squad. Messi made the announcement on his Instagram account.

“After much thought, I want to tell everyone that I am leaving the national team. It was a painful decision, and it still hurts deeply inside me, but I understand that now is the right time,” Messi wrote.

Messi has made 207 appearances for Argentina and scored 125 goals, both national-team records. The forward has also played at six World Cups.

He is the 2022 world champion, a two-time World Cup silver medalist in 2014 and 2026, the 2008 Olympic champion and a two-time Copa America winner in 2021 and 2024. Messi also holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards won.

Since 2023, Messi has played for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami in the United States. Before moving to the North American league, the Argentine played for Spanish club Barcelona and French side Paris Saint-Germain. With Barcelona, he won the Champions League four times, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup three times each.

Messi has previously announced his retirement from international football. After Argentina lost to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final, he said he was ending his international career, but returned to the national team two months later.

Messi reportedly wrote the letter announcing his international retirement on 21 July but only published it now.

The footballer’s post announcing his departure from Argentina’s national team received 2.4 million likes during its first hour.