Messi bids farewell to Argentina after two decades of glory and heartbreak

Lionel Messi has ended his career with the Argentine national team at 39, bringing down the curtain on nearly two decades in the famous blue-and-white shirt.

The Inter Miami captain, who represented Argentina at a record six World Cups, finally achieved his lifelong ambition by lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022. He led Argentina to another final in 2026, but they lost to Spain.

"It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come," Messi said in a letter posted on his official Instagram account.

"I swear to you that I always gave it my all — not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football."

Messi revealed that he had written the retirement letter on 21 June, two days after the World Cup final, but delayed publishing it because his father, Jorge Messi, was facing serious health problems. Jorge Messi died on 8 August in his native Rosario, Argentina.

Messi made his senior international debut in 2006, beginning a journey that brought extraordinary success but was also marked by years of disappointment.

He lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and suffered defeat in the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals. After the 2016 loss, he briefly announced his retirement from international football before returning to the Argentina squad.

The breakthrough finally came in 2021, when Argentina won the Copa América. A year later, Messi completed his international story by leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, beating France on penalties in one of the tournament's most memorable finals.

"Thank you for all the love these past 20 years. I'm going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much. Now I'm going to be one of you, cheering and supporting you from the outside (through thick and thin, even more so)," Messi wrote.

He did not say how much longer he intends to continue playing professional football. His decision therefore marks the end of his Argentina career, rather than necessarily the end of his playing career.

"I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — along with my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of. Experiencing this with you was incredible. I love you all," Messi added.

Messi's decision comes after another remarkable weekend for the forward. He scored four goals for Inter Miami in a 7-1 victory over CF Montréal, underlining that while his international career is over, he is not yet ready to walk away from the game altogether.

With AP/PTI inputs