Lionel Messi, 39 years old, announced this August 31 his retirement from football through his social media. “After this time since the final, thinking a lot, I want to tell everyone that I retire from the National Team,” wrote the Argentine player.
With a handwritten letter, the ’10’ communicated the news to the Argentine people and his fans around the world, making the 2026 World Cup final, played last July 19, his last appearance with the ‘albiceleste’.
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts in the soul but I understand that it is the moment. I swear I always gave everything, not only the last years when we won everything, before too, and I always fought and gave my all for this jersey, to give you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” wrote Messi.
After 20 years playing with his country’s National Team and becoming the all-time top scorer with 125 goals, of which he was also captain from 2010 until this year, Messi assured: “There is little left and stages are closing and this is one that hurts me a lot”.
“I love, loved, and will always love being in the National Team. I emptied myself, I have nothing left to give and besides, there are very great youngsters behind who deserve to be,” he added.
The recent death of his father, Jorge Messi
The ‘bombshell’ of his retirement from the Argentine National Team comes just a couple of weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, and a heartfelt message he shared on his social media for his father, in which he foreshadowed the news of this Monday.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you, I don’t know how to go on. I only played football and now I have many doubts about continuing to do so for much longer. You were by my side from the beginning, there was just a little left until the end. Why didn’t you hold on a little longer and we would have finished together?”
After a complicated relationship with Argentine fans due to the three lost finals with the National Team in the past decade, Lionel Messi was crowned champion of the Copa América, the Conmebol-UEFA Champions Cup, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Today the Argentine star says goodbye in a completely different scenario, after receiving the support and affection of his people which was visible in the stadiums and the chants of the fans during every match, which he also thanked in his letter.
“Thank you for all the love of these 20 years. I will miss hearing you from inside a lot. Now I will be one more of you, always cheering and supporting from outside (in good times and bad, much more),” he wrote.
The decision was made since July 21
After thanking his family, coaches, teammates, and officials, Messi assured that he leaves the National Team with the “peace and pride” of having given, together with his team, dream moments to the Argentine people. “Thank you God for making me Argentine,” he added.
He also explained that the decision is not recent. At the end of the post, the footballer noted: “I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today after what happened with my dad, I am more convinced than before”.
His Instagram post quickly filled with thousands of comments, among which stand out the messages from several of his teammates and colleagues such as Xavi Hernández, Rodrigo De Paul, Ángel Di María, among others.
Ana Cristina Álvarez Montoya
Breaking News Editor