Messi made his Argentina debut on 17 August 2005, coming off the bench against Hungary in Budapest. His first competitive appearance followed weeks later, on 3 September 2005, in a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay.
Twenty years on, Messi leaves the national team as both Argentina’s most-capped player and its all-time leading scorer, with 125 goals in 207 caps, and also stands as the country’s all-time top provider with 65 assists.
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His six World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026) leave him with more World Cup appearances than any player in history, 34 matches in total, along with 21 goals and 12 assists. He won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player in both 2014 and 2022, the only man to do so twice.
In a heartfelt social media post, Messi announced his retirement.
“After all this time since the final, thinking about it a lot, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the national team…”
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts in my soul, but I understand that it is the right time. I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too, and I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to give you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.”
“There is not much time left and chapters are coming to an end, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, I loved and I will always love being part of the national team. I emptied myself, I have nothing more to give, and besides, there are very talented young players coming through who deserve to be there.”
“Thank you for all the love of these 20 years. I am going to miss hearing you from the inside so much. Now I am going to be one more of you, always cheering and supporting from outside.”
“Thank you to my family for always being there, for accompanying me on this journey that was so beautiful but so difficult. Thank you to every coach, teammate and official I got to share this with.”
“I leave with the peace of mind and the pride of having given you, together with my teammates, dream moments. It was crazy to have lived it with you. I love you!”
“Thank you God for making me Argentine. Come on Argentine. Come on Argentina!”
The trophy cabinet reflects an era of unprecedented success for Argentina under Lionel Scaloni. Messi won the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima against Italy, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Argentina’s first since 1986, captaining the side and scoring twice in the final win over France on penalties.
He added a fourth Copa América in 2024, and reached a second consecutive World Cup final in 2026 before Argentina fell to Spain.
An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner across his career, Messi’s international story took him from the depths of retirement threats and lost finals to becoming the most decorated captain in Argentina’s history.
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🚨🇦🇷 BREAKING NEWS: LIONEL MESSI RETIRES FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL.
Messi will not play for Argentina national team anymore. pic.twitter.com/KaiZ5Pwrw9
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 31, 2026
Photo: Marc Atkins/Getty Images
