Lionel Messi said on Monday (August 31, 2026) he is retiring from international football after leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final in July.
Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory by winning the 2022 final against France in a penalty shootout in Doha, but his side lost 1-0 to Spain in the 2026 final. Messi’s contract with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2028 season.
A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) “It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul but I understand that it is the right time,” Messi, 39, wrote on Instagram. Thank you, Messi: FIFA president, Angel Di Maria pay glowing tributes to the ‘GOAT’ A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) “I swear I always gave everything, not just in the last few years when we won everything but before that too, and I always fought and gave my all for this shirt,” he added. Lionel Messi at FIFA World Cups: A visual story Following the death of his father Jorge on August 8, 2026, Messi had said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play football of any sort for “much longer”.