Argentina superstar Lionel Messi has announced his decision to retire from international football, bringing an extraordinary chapter of his career closer to an end.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, Messi described the decision as one of the hardest of his life, acknowledging that while it is difficult to accept, he believes the time has come to step away from the international stage.
Now 39, Messi captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, finally lifting football’s biggest prize after years of international heartbreak.
Messi made his Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to represent his country in 207 international matches, scoring 125 goals. He is Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer and their most-capped player.
At the FIFA World Cup, Messi has scored 21 goals, making him one of the tournament’s most prolific goalscorers and the second-highest scorer in World Cup history, according to the statistics cited.
His extraordinary individual honours include a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, further cementing his status among football’s all-time greats.
