Lionel Messi retires from the Argentina national team

The Argentinian’s decision to quit international football was met by an outpouring of affection from the country he led to World Cup glory in 2022 Anyone who was present at Lionel Scaloni’s press conference immediately after the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey on 19 July and saw his tears, the sobs which prevented him from speaking while he got up and walked out, could tell this was a man weeping not because of defeat in a single match but because he was fully aware that what that particular group of men had been through for the past eight years had come to an end. Messi’s announcement that he is retiring from international football, posted on Instagram on Monday complete with photos of three handwritten sheets of some anonymous yet corporate-looking headed paper and a Harry Potter Time Turner pen, to the soundtrack of Brindis sung by Soledad Pastorutti, instantly dominated the news and unleashed a barrage of homages, gratitude and joy from all corners. But it’s not exactly a surprise. Continue reading...

Today marks one of the toughest days in the history of the Argentina national team. Lionel Messi has decided to retire from the national team after the last World Cup, with a letter that brought more ...

The Argentine’s career with Argentina was singular, and his exit is a reminder that all good things come to an end It was among the defining moments of the 2026 World Cup: Argentina captain Lionel Messi standing arms akimbo, looking up towards Argentina’s most fervent supporters after losing the World Cup final. Tears were streaming down his face after Argentina’s embarrassing loss against Spain in what we now know was Messi’s final match wearing that iconic Argentina kit. It was not the first time he’d cried at the tournament. There had been tears of joy in Argentina’s opening match, when Messi rolled back the clock to his glory days with a trio of spectacular goals against Algeria. There had been more when his brace against Austria pushed Argentina through to the knockout round, and even more when his equalizer against Egypt threw la Albiceleste a much-needed lifeline. Later, the world found out that Messi had been struggling all the while with the health struggles of his father, Jorge, a fact that clearly weighed heavily on him at all times as Argentina made a dramatic return to the final in a bid to defend their 2022 title. Continue reading...

Argentina great Lionel Messi announces his retirement from international football, saying it was a decision that "hurt" but he understands "the time has come".

This afternoon, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the Argentine national team after 21 years.Alongside a letter, the man widely regarded as the greatest player of all time also shared an emot...

Through a heartbreaking message, Lionel Messi made public his irreversible decision to retire from the Argentina National Team. The historic captain admitted that it is a measure that hurts in the sou...