10 Things You Didn’t Know About Lionel Messi, as He Retires From Argentina
On Monday, 31 August 2026, Lionel Messi confirmed what football fans had quietly feared since Argentina’s extra-time defeat to Spain in the World Cup final weeks earlier: at 39, he is retiring from international football, closing a 21-year national team career that included 125 goals in 207 appearances, two Copa América titles, and, most famously, the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The announcement, shared as a handwritten letter on Instagram, ended two decades of speculation, heartbreak and eventual glory in an Argentina shirt. Here are ten things about that career, and the man behind it, worth knowing as this chapter closes.
1. He Wrote His Retirement Letter Weeks Before Announcing It
Messi revealed that he actually wrote the retirement announcement on 21 July, just two days after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat, but chose to hold onto it. He didn’t publish it until his father Jorge’s health took a serious turn, and ultimately after Jorge passed away on 8 August at age 68. Messi added a footnote to the original letter explaining that his father’s death had only made him more certain of the decision.
2. He’s Finishing His International Career as Argentina’s All-Time Leading Scorer, and Second Only to Ronaldo Worldwide
Messi’s 125 international goals make him Argentina’s greatest ever scorer for the national team, and place him second on the all-time list of men’s international goals across the entire sport. Only his long-standing rival Cristiano Ronaldo, with 146 goals for Portugal, sits above him, and Ronaldo has yet to announce any international retirement of his own.
3. He Briefly Held the All-Time World Cup Scoring Record, for About a Month
During this summer’s tournament, Messi briefly became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. The record didn’t last long, France’s Kylian Mbappé overtook him before the tournament ended, finishing on 22 World Cup goals to Messi’s 21.
4. He Once Quit the National Team Before, a Decade Earlier
This isn’t the first time Messi walked away from Argentina. After missing a penalty in the 2016 Copa América final shootout loss to Chile, a heartbroken Messi announced on the spot that his international career was over. The decision didn’t stick, weeks of public pressure and reflection later, he reversed course and returned to the squad within about seven weeks.
5. That Early Heartbreak Made the 2021 Copa América Win Even Bigger
For years, Messi’s international career was defined by agonizingly close losses in major finals, including the 2014 World Cup and three separate Copa América finals. When Argentina finally broke through and won the 2021 Copa América, it wasn’t just a trophy, it ended a 28-year wait for Argentina to lift a major senior title, and silenced years of criticism that Messi couldn’t deliver for his country the way he did for his clubs.
6. He Won a Second Copa América Just Three Years Later
Messi added a second Copa América title in 2024, giving him two continental championships to go alongside his crowning achievement, the 2022 World Cup. Together, this run transformed the final chapter of his international career from a story about heartbreak into one of the most complete international legacies in the sport’s history.
7. His Farewell Letter Wasn’t Really About Statistics at All
In the letter itself, Messi wrote that he was leaving with peace of mind and pride, describing the moments he and his teammates gave fans as ones people had only previously dreamed of. The tone throughout was less about individual records and far more about gratitude toward teammates, coaches, and the fans who supported him across two decades.
8. World Leaders and Football’s Governing Body Both Reacted Within Hours
The response to Messi’s announcement reached well beyond football media. Argentina’s President Javier Milei posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised Messi’s international career as one that inspired millions and redefined the sport. The Argentine Football Association also shared a public message thanking him directly for representing the country and for turning so many dreams into reality.
9. His Wife’s Tribute Captured the Two Decades Better Than Any Highlight Reel
Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, shared her own emotional tribute following the announcement, reflecting on watching him persist through setbacks and eventually fulfill the dreams they’d shared together. It offered a rare, personal window into a career usually measured in trophies and statistics rather than the quieter moments behind them.
10. This Is Retirement From Argentina Only, Not From Football
Despite the emotional weight of the announcement, Messi isn’t hanging up his boots entirely. He continues to play club football for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, meaning fans will still get to watch him play, just no longer in the sky blue and white of Argentina.
The Bottom Line
Lionel Messi’s international career began over two decades ago and ends with 125 goals, two Copa América titles, a World Cup, and a legacy that required both extraordinary talent and an unusually public willingness to keep showing up after heartbreak, including one very public near-retirement a decade before this one actually arrived. Few careers in sport have managed to turn that much early disappointment into that complete an ending.
