Lionel Messi Announces Retirement from International Football After 2026 World Cup Final

Argentina's Lionel Messi looks dejected after losing the 2026 World Cup final [File: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]. Lionel Messi says he is retiring from international football after leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final in July.

“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 on Monday. “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.

Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory by winning the 2022 final against France in a penalty shootout in Doha, Qatar, but his side lost 1-0 to Spain in the 2026 final. After the death of his father, Jorge, in August, Messi had said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play football of any sort for “much longer”.

Messi’s contract with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2028 season.