Lionel Messi retires from Argentina national team

Lionel Messi confirmed on Monday that he is retiring from international football, ending a 21-year Argentina career that ran to 207 appearances and 125 goals. He posted the announcement on Instagram, and among the first replies from within the squad was one from Cristian Romero.

"How crazy that the day has come, dear Leo. The day no one wanted to arrive has arrived, nine years listening to you, admiring you and learning by your side. I used to watch you play with my dad and we would calculate together whether I would be in time to play with you."

Messi said he had written the statement on 21 July, two days after Argentina lost the World Cup final to France in Qatar, but held it back for six weeks. That stretch also covered the death of his father, Jorge. "Today, after what happened with my dad, I'm even more convinced of this decision than before," he said, adding that he was leaving the stage "with peace and pride".

Lionel Scaloni's press conference straight after the final had already signalled where this was heading. He left it in tears, unable to finish speaking, and those close to the squad read it at the time as grief for something larger than a single defeat.

The record Messi leaves behind includes the World Cup won in 2022 and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024. He remains on the books at Inter Miami, where he scored four times against CF Montreal on Sunday, so retirement applies only to the national side, not to his club career.

Messi's statement also reached beyond his own 21 years in the shirt. He closed it by setting out what he still owed the jersey and what he has left to give it.

Giovani Lo Celso and Nico Paz were among the other team-mates to post tributes, both describing years of watching and learning from him before ever sharing a dressing room.

Among those shared online was one from a supporter who had followed his career since it began.