Lionel Messi retires from international soccer after Argentina career
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 31, 2026, 11:22 PM
Last updated Aug 31, 2026

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on Monday, Aug. 31, ending a tenure with the Argentina national team that included winning the 2022 World Cup. In a social media post, Messi expressed pride in his international accomplishments alongside his teammates. The announcement follows a career that spanned continental titles and multiple World Cup final appearances. While Messi remains active at the club level with Inter Miami, where he leads the league in scoring, his international career is now concluded. His legacy includes ten league titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies earned during his time with FC Barcelona. Messi retires as a prominent figure in Argentine sports history, moving past early public criticism to achieve universal recognition within his home country.
- •Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on Aug. 31.
- •Messi recorded four goals in his most recent match for Inter Miami.
- •He secured seven of his eight Ballon d'Or awards during his tenure at FC Barcelona.
- •The Argentina national team reached the 2026 World Cup final with Messi as a key player.
- 11:22 PMYahoo Sports — FC Barcelona made Messi great, Argentina made him eternal | Opinion
"While Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or and other hardware at the club level, it is what he did with Argentina that will be his biggest legacy.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
Champions League•Oct 31, 2026, 3:23 PMKane beat Mbappé to Ballon d'Or by one of smallest margins in history
Champions League•Oct 31, 2026, 2:59 PMAtletico beat Levante to move top above Barcelona
Champions League•Oct 31, 2026, 2:04 PMMourinho talks Vinicius, Mbappe, Bellingham, Ballon d’Or, Trent ahead of Racing Santander vs Real Madrid- Champions League•Oct 31, 2026, 1:36 PMReal Madrid forward keeps transfer options open despite improved role under Mourinho
Champions League•Oct 31, 2026, 1:18 PMEstêvão set to shake up January transfer market; here's why
Champions League•Oct 31, 2026, 10:20 AMBarcelona dressing room sends a message of calm after PSG and Real Madrid defeats
