Argentina’s Lionel Messi Announces International Retirement

August 31, 2026 2:39 PM ET All good things must come to an end.And sadly, the legendary Lionel Messi announced Monday that he is retiring from international soccer.In a post on Instagram that showed a notebook entry written in Spanish, Messi confirmed his retirement from the Argentina national team at the age of 39. (RELATED: Novak Djokovic Suffers Mammoth Upset Against Mariano Navone In US Open 1st Round)Playing in six World Cups, Messi became a champion at the Qatar-based tournament in 2022, and then in 2026, he led Argentina to a final return where they lost to Spain. The 2022 title, its third overall, was the country’s first in 36 years.Before that, Messi was key in ending the 28-year trophy drought for Argentina after winning the Copa América in 2021, going on to win another in 2024.