Argentina icon Lionel Messi retires from international football | OneFootball

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, with the Argentina icon bringing the curtain down on an all-time great career.

The 39-year-old has confirmed that he will no longer represent Argentina, ending a remarkable 20-year association with the national team.

Messi announced the decision on social media, admitting the decision “hurt, and still hurts deep in my soul”, but insisting he had reached the right moment to walk away.

“I gave everything I had; I have nothing more to give,” Messi wrote. “There are also some incredible young players coming through who deserve their chance.”

Messi leaves international football with an extraordinary haul of honours.

He won the 2022 World Cup, two Copa America titles, the Finalissima, Olympic gold and the Under-20 World Cup with Argentina.

His individual numbers are equally staggering. Messi exits the stage after 207 appearances for his country, scoring 125 goals and providing 68 assists for a remarkable 193 goal contributions.

Messi revealed that he originally wrote his farewell message on July 21, just two days after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the final.

Despite the disappointment, the veteran forward was arguably the tournament’s standout player at 39.

Messi has shown little sign of slowing down since leaving European football either.

The Inter Miami star remains a dominant figure in Major League Soccer.

He delivered another extraordinary performance on Saturday, scoring four goals and supplying an assist as Miami defeated Montreal.

However, his greatest legacy will always be what he achieved in the famous blue and white shirt.

For years, Messi carried the weight of Argentina’s expectations, enduring painful defeats in major finals before finally leading his country to the biggest prizes in world football.

The 2022 World Cup triumph completed a story that once appeared destined to end in disappointment.

Now, after two decades, countless records and a trophy cabinet few players can match, Messi is finally walking away.

“Thank God for making me Argentine,” he wrote. “Come on, Argentina!”

The era of Argentina’s greatest-ever footballer has officially come to an end.