Messi Announces His Departure from Argentina’s National Team

Lionel Messi said he will leave Argentina’s national team, ending his international career after captaining the side to the 2022 World Cup title and the 2026 final.

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It was a decision that hurt, and still hurts deep down, but I understand that the time has come.

The 39-year-old announced the decision Monday in an Instagram post. He said leaving “hurt, and still hurts deep down,” but added that he understood the time had come.

Messi said he had always given everything for Argentina, not only during the years when the team won major honors but earlier in his career as well. He said he fought for the national shirt to bring supporters joy and make them proud to be Argentine through football.

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I swear to you that I always gave it my all, not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too.

“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you, alongside my teammates, moments we once only dreamed of,” Messi wrote. His statement framed the departure around the achievements Argentina and its players had once regarded as distant hopes.

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I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you, alongside my teammates, moments we once only dreamed of.