After Final Defeat to Spain, Lionel Messi Bids Farewell to Argentina at 39

Lionel Messi says the pain of Argentina’s latest final defeat has convinced him that the time has come to leave international football. At 39, the Inter Miami forward announced his retirement from the national team weeks after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in extra time.

“Time has passed since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to announce to all of you that I am retiring from the national team. It is a decision that still hurts me deeply, but I understand that it is time,” Messi wrote on Instagram.

The announcement also follows the death of his father and agent, Jorge Messi, who died at 68. Messi had said in mid-August that he could no longer see himself playing for “a long time.” He had already announced an international retirement in 2016, then returned for the 2018 World Cup and eventually led Argentina to the title in Qatar four years later.

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Time has passed since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to announce to all of you that I am retiring from the national team. It is a decision that still hurts me deeply, but I understand that it is time.

Messi’s final tournament with Argentina still produced a standout campaign. He scored eight goals, including a hat trick, and carried the team to the final, although he was unable to prevent the defeat by Spain in New York on July 19. He had also lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany, by the same 1-0 extra-time score.

His Argentina honors include the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles, Olympic gold in 2008, the 2022 Finalissima and the 2005 Under-20 World Cup. Those achievements cemented his place alongside Diego Maradona in Argentina’s football pantheon. Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami through the end of the 2028 season.

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a long time