Lionel Messi’s Mother Recalls Late Husband’s Words After Son Retires From International Football

Lionel Messi’s retirement from Argentina’s national team came almost at the same time as the death of his father, Jorge, leaving the family to absorb two painful endings together.

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I am still crying. Even though we already knew, the whole family is sad. But the important thing is that he is happy.

Celia Messi said she was still crying but added that the important thing was that her son was happy. Speaking through a statement read on America TV, she recalled Jorge often asking, “What am I going to do when he does not play anymore.” Jorge Messi died in Rosario on August 8 at the age of 68.

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What am I going to do when he does not play anymore.

Messi announced his international retirement on Monday, more than a month after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. He said he had written his retirement statement two days after the final, then finalized it after his father’s death. The loss, he said, made him even more certain that stepping aside was the right decision.

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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.

In his message, Messi said the decision still hurt, but that he had always given everything to the national team. He thanked his family and teammates, and pointed to younger players who deserved the opportunity to represent Argentina. He ended by saying he was leaving with peace and pride, after sharing moments with his teammates that they had once dreamed of.

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I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of.