Messi Bids Farewell to Argentina Colours

Synopsis

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football on Monday, August 31, bringing an end to his beautiful 21-year journey with Argentina. The 39-year-old shared the news via his Instagram by posting handwritten notes, stating that the decision hurts and hurts him deeply, but he had to do it as age was catching up with him. Messi leaves his Argentina side as the most decorated national player, even ahead of Maradona. He scored 125 goals in 207 appearances and only second to Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi will continue playing for his current US-based club, Inter Miami.

Messi Announces Retirement Through Instagram Note

Very sad news has come out, not only for the football fraternity but for the world, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football on Aug 31 via Instagram. The announcement came as a note written on notebook pages, a photograph of which Messi posted on his Instagram account on Monday.

Lionel Messi said that the decision hurts him deeply but he understood the time has come for him to hang up his boots. As of now, Messi announced his retirement from international football only and will most likely to play club football at his current club Inter Miami.

The announcement was an indeed a shock but it was predictable, Messi wrote the note just two days after he was eliminated in the World Cup Final after 1-0 defeat by Spain. Earlier this month Messi also lost his father, Jorge Messi on Aug 8, 2026. Messi was playing football at this age only for his father, to give him a last tribute.

Trophy Cabinet and a Career Comeback

Lionel Messi's international career has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. In 2016, Messi, abruptly ended his international career and refused to return to his national team after a series of domestic and international campaign failures. The whole world urged Messi to return to the national team; even his arch rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, encouraged Messi to return to his national team.

After returning to the national team in 2016, Messi didn’t look back on either of his failures, be it World Cup Final of 2014 or Copa America. His first major trophy was won back in 2021, when Argentina, for the first time in 28 years, won their Copa America, and the very next year, Messi won his First World Cup in 2022, again won the Copa America in 2024 and stepped up to become the undisputed greatest player to ever touch the football.

Messi retires from international duty with 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo. He briefly held the record for the most World Cup goals before Kylian Mbappe edged ahead by a single goal.

World showers Messi with love and tributes

The tributes started almost immediately. Angel Di Maria, who was right there with Messi when Argentina won it all in Qatar, said it was hard even to read the words that Argentina wouldn't see him in the sky blue and white again. Claudio Tapia, head of the Argentine Football Association, didn't hold back either, calling him the captain of the nation's dreams and crediting him with making the impossible feel ordinary for an entire generation.

And it wasn't just football people. FIFA president Gianni Infantino weighed in too, calling it a career that inspired millions and reshaped the sport itself. Messi has etched his name in the history of mankind as one of the most extraordinary and unparalleled athletes of all time.