Lionel Messi retires from Argentina duty after 207 internationals

Lionel Messi has retired from Argentina duty after 207 matches and 125 goals. He scored 21 goals in World Cups, one short of France's Kylian Mbappe.

Messi drafted his farewell letter two days after the 2022 World Cup final. His father's death on August 8 prompted the final decision to step away.

Messi's wife shared the announcement publicly. Argentina will now look to build a squad without their all-time leading scorer for upcoming qualifiers.