Argentina star Lionel Messi retires from international soccer with World Cup title and 125 goals | Sports

On Aug 31, 2026

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina superstar Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on Monday, ending 21 years of national-team duty that were capped by winning the World Cup in 2022 to secure his place in the pantheon of the game’s greatest ever players.

“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,” the 39-year-old Messi said on his Instagram account.

kAm|6DD:[ H9@ H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ A=2J 2E 4=F3 =6G6= H:E9 x?E6C |:2>: 😕 |2;@C {628F6 $@446C[ A=2J65 😕 2 C64@C5\EJ:?8 D:I (@C=5 rFAD] w6 H@? :E 7@FC J62CD 28@ 😕 2 E@FC?2>6?E 96 5@>:?2E65 😕 “2E2C 2?5 2=D@ =65 pC86?E:?2 E@ E96 E:E=6 >2E49 😕 a_`c 2?5 282:? E9:D J62C[ H96? E96 p=3:46=6DE6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2C86?E:?2\DA2:?\H@C=5\4FA\7:?2=\D4@C6\>6DD:\7444ae22`a5haae6eb5_e3e_`3ff_e`fQm=@DE E@ $A2:?k^2m 😕 6IEC2 E:>6 😕 }6H y6CD6J]k^Am

kAm|6DD: DE2?5D D9@F=56C E@ D9@F=56C H:E9 s:68@ |2C25@?2[ 2 4@>A2EC:@E H:E9 H9@> 96 H2D D@ @7E6? 4@>A2C65[ 2?5 qC2K:= :4@? !6=é 2D E96 8C62E6DE A=2J6CD @7 2== E:>6]k^Am

kAmu@C >2?J[ 96VD E96 36DE]k^Am

kAm“x DH62C E@ J@F E92E x 2=H2JD 82G6 :E >J 2== — ?@E ;FDE 😕 E96D6 =2DE 76H J62CD H96? H6 H@? 6G6CJE9:?8[ 3FE 367@C6 E92E E@@[Q |6DD: HC@E6] Qx 2=H2JD 7@F89E 2?5 =67E 6G6CJE9:?8 @? E96 7:6=5 7@C E9:D ;6CD6J[ E@ 3C:?8 J@F ;@J 2?5 >2

kAm|6DD: A=2J65 a_f 82>6D 7@C pC86?E:?2 2?5 7:?:D96D 2D :ED 2==\E:>6 =625:?8 D4@C6C H:E9 `ad 8@2=D[ a` @7 E96> 😕 (@C=5 rFAD] ~?=J @?6 A=2J6C 92D >@C6 8@2=D 😕 >6?VD :?E6C?2E:@?2=D — 9:D =@?8\E:>6 C:G2= rC:DE:2?@ #@?2=5@[ H9@ 92D `ce 2?5 92D J6E E@ 2??@F?46 9:D C6E:C6>6?E 7C@> !@CEF82= 5FEJ]k^Am

kAm|6DD: 3642>6 E96 2==\E:>6 =625:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^7:72\H@C=5\4FAQm(@C=5 rFAk^2m D4@C6C 7@C 2 >@?E9 😕 E96 C646?E E@FC?2>6?E 😕 E96 &]$][ |6I:4@ 2?5 r2?252[ 3FE 7:?:D965 @?6 8@2= 369:?5 uC2?46’D zJ=:2? |32AAé]k^Am

k9am|6DD: 564:565 EH@ 52JD 27E6C (@C=5 rFA 7:?2=k^9am

kAmx? 2 =@?8 D@4:2=\>65:2 A@DE[ |6DD: 6IA=2:?65 96 HC@E6 9:D C6E:C6>6?E =6EE6C @? yF=J a` — EH@ 52JD 27E6C E96 (@C=5 rFA 7:?2= 😕 H9:49 96 DECF88=65 E@ >2A24E — 3FE H2:E65 E@ AF3=:D9 :E 3642FD6 9:D 72E96C H2D 724:?8 962=E9 :DDF6D E92E 6G6?EF2==J 4=2:>65 9:D =:76]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;@C86\>6DD:\562E9\C@D2C:@\2C86?E:?2\hhddf675bf5g35ha45g63`65acbed7gfQmy@C86 |6DD:k^2m 5:65 @? pF8] g 😕 9:D ?2E:G6 #@D2C:@]k^Am

kAm%H@ >@?E9D 27E6C |6DD: DE2CC65 2E E96 a__d H@C=5 F?56C\a_ 492>A:@?D9:A[ D4@C:?8 3@E9 @7 pC86?E:?2VD 8@2=D 😕 E96 7:?2= EC:F>A9[ 96 H2D 8:G6? 9:D D6?:@C pC86?E:?2 563FE 2E `g] w:D 7:CDE 2AA62C2?46 =2DE65 @?=J EH@ >:?FE6Dj E96 DF3DE:EFE6 H2D D6?E @77 282:?DE wF?82CJ 😕 qF52A6DE]k^Am

kAmw:D ;@FC?6J H:E9 E96 ?2E:@?2= E62> H2D 7C2F89E H:E9 >@C6 7CFDEC2E:@? — 96 3C:67=J C6E:C65 7C@> pC86?E:?2 5FEJ 😕 a_`e 27E6C E9C66 56762ED 😕 E9C66 4@?D64FE:G6 >2;@C 7:?2=D — F?E:= 96 7:?2==J =:7E65 E96 (@C=5 rFA 7@FC J62CD 28@[ 6:E96C D:56 @7 2=D@ H:??:?8 r@A2 p>6C:42 E:E=6D 😕 a_a` 2?5 Vac]k^Am

kAm“%92? 8@:?8 E@ >:DD 962C:?8 J@F 2== 7C@> E96 :?D:56 D@ >F49] }@H x’> 8@:?8 E@ 36 @?6 @7 J@F[ 4966C:?8 2?5 DFAA@CE:?8 J@F 7C@> E96 @FED:56 WE9C@F89 E9:4@C6 D@X]”k^Am

kAmx? E96 =6EE6C[ |6DD: 5:5 ?@E D2J 9@H =@?8 96 :?E6?5D E@ 4@?E:?F6 A=2J:?8] %96 C646?E (@C=5 rFA D9@H65 96VD DE:== @?6 @7 E96 36DE A=2J6CD 😕 E96 H@C=5[ 2D 5:5 2 7@FC\8@2= 5:DA=2J 7@C x?E6C |:2>: 2E E96 H66

kAm“x =62G6 H:E9 E96 A6246 @7 >:?5 2?5 AC:56 @7 92G:?8 8:G6? J@F — 2=@?8 H:E9 >J E62>>2E6D — >@>6?ED H6 @?46 @?=J 5C62>65 @7] tIA6C:6?4:?8 E9:D H:E9 J@F H2D :?4C65:3=6] x =@G6 J@F 2==[” 96 25565]k^Am

k9am%96 D64@?5 C6E:C6>6?Ek^9am

kAm|6DD:VD DE6==2C C646?E DF446DD H:E9 pC86?E:?2 ?62C=J 5:5?’E 92AA6?]k^Am

kAmp 564256 28@ 96 C6E:C65 7C@> E96 ?2E:@?2= E62> 7@==@H:?8 pC86?E:?2VD 56762E 😕 E96 a_`e r@A2 p>6C4:2 7:?2= E@ r9:=6 @? A6?2=EJ <:4 h9:49="">:DD65]k^Am

kAmp AF3=:4 42>A2:8? =65 3J |2C25@?2 2?5 E96 AC6D:56?E 492?865 9:D >:?5 2?5 |6DD: D9@@2E496D[ C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 pC86?E:?2 E62> 2?5 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ DE2C 7@C q2C46=@?2[ E96? !2C:D $2:?E\v6C>2:?[ E96? x?E6C |:2>:]k^Am

kAmw6’D E96 EH@\E:>6 |’! 😕 |{$[ E96 DE2C @7 E96 =628F6 492>A:@? 2?5 D@>6@?6 H9@ DE:== 4C62E6D 8@2=D 😕 E96 3:886DE >@>6?ED]k^Am

kAmw6VD 2=D@ 2 C64@C5 6:89E\E:>6 H@C=5 A=2J6C @7 E96 J62C]k^Am

kAm“w6 😀 AFC6 9:DE@CJ[” pC86?E:?2 4@249 {:@?6= $42=@?: D2:5 5FC:?8 E96 C646?E (@C=5 rFA] “w:DE@CJ] p =686?5]”k^Am

k9amu@C6G6C 8C2E67F=k^9am

Crédito: Link de origem