Argentina fans have paid emotional tribute to Lionel Messi following the football superstar’s announcement that he is retiring from international football after a remarkable 21-year career with the national team.
The 39-year-old confirmed his decision on Monday, bringing an end to a journey that saw him become Argentina’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer while guiding the country to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title.
“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,” Messi wrote on Instagram.
The announcement triggered an outpouring of emotion among Argentine supporters, many of whom hailed him as irreplaceable and one of the greatest players to ever wear the national shirt.
Messi, who will continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, represented Argentina at a record-equalling six World Cups.
His greatest international triumph came in Qatar in 2022, when he captained Argentina to the World Cup title after an unforgettable tournament. He had previously led the team to the final in 2014 and again in the most recent tournament, where Argentina lost to Spain after extra time in New Jersey.
The retirement marks the end of an extraordinary international career in which Messi made 207 appearances for Argentina and scored a national-record 125 goals, including 21 at the World Cup.
Only Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more goals in men’s international football, with 146. Ronaldo has yet to announce his retirement from international duty.
Messi’s achievements have placed him alongside Argentine legend Diego Maradona and Brazil icon Pelé in the debate over the greatest footballer of all time.
“I swear to you that I always gave it my all — not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too,” Messi said.
“I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.”
Messi’s international career was not always defined by success.
After making his senior debut for Argentina at just 18 in 2005, he endured years of disappointment with the national team, including defeats in major finals.
He briefly retired from international football in 2016 after Argentina lost three consecutive major finals. The most painful of those defeats came against Chile in the Copa América final, when Messi missed a penalty during the shootout.
A public campaign led by Maradona and other prominent figures persuaded him to reverse the decision.
Messi returned to international duty and eventually delivered the trophies that had eluded him.
He helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América, followed by the 2022 World Cup and another Copa América title in 2024.
The triumph in Qatar cemented his legacy and silenced years of criticism that he could not deliver Argentina a major international trophy.
Messi revealed that he had actually written his retirement letter on July 21, two days after the World Cup final, but delayed publishing it because his father, Jorge Messi, was suffering from health problems.
Jorge Messi died on August 8 in his hometown of Rosario.
Messi thanked Argentine supporters for their unwavering backing throughout his career, acknowledging the difficult moments as well as the historic victories.
“Thank you for all the love these past 20 years,” he wrote. “I’m going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much.”
“Now I’m going to be one of you, cheering and supporting you from the outside — through thick and thin, even more so.”
Although Messi is stepping away from international football, he has not indicated when he plans to retire from club football.
His performances suggest he remains capable of competing at the highest level. At the weekend, he scored four goals for Inter Miami in a 7-1 victory over CF Montréal.
He is also a two-time MLS Most Valuable Player and has won a record eight world player-of-the-year awards.
“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — along with my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of,” Messi said.
“Experiencing this with you was incredible. I love you all.”
For Argentina, however, the challenge now is finding a way forward without the player who has defined its football for more than two decades.
As fans mourn the end of an era, one sentiment has echoed across the country: nobody will replace Lionel Messi.
