Argentina’s legendary player Lionel Messi has declared his retirement from international football, stating that the decision was one that “hurt” him, yet he recognizes that “the time has come”.
Argentina’s All-Time Top Scorer Announces Retirement
The 39-year-old forward, who captained Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has confirmed his retirement from international football. He leaves the national team as its all-time leading scorer with 125 goals in 207 matches, making him the most-capped player in the nation’s history.
In his official statement, he expressed the emotional weight of his decision: “It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come. 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; 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 stated that he wrote his retirement announcement on July 21, just two days following the World Cup final. Lionel became a member of Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, in 2000 after relocating from Argentina to Spain. He made his first-team debut in 2004 at the age of 17 and subsequently dedicated the next 17 seasons to the club. Throughout his tenure at Barcelona, he secured 10 La Liga titles and established himself as the club’s all-time leading scorer.
In an Instagram post, Messi expressed that he has devoted everything to the national team, but now he feels he has “nothing left to give”. “Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here. He stated that the passing of his father, Jorge, affirmed that it was the appropriate time to release the statement and conclude his international career. He then disclosed the degree of his struggles during Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain.
