Lionel Messi retires from Argentina duty after 207 internationals
Lionel Messi retires from Argentina duty after 207 matches, citing his father's death as the moment he decided to step away.
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. The retirement ends a career that delivered Argentina's first World Cup title in 36 years. Messi played his last match for the national team earlier this year.
The announcement came through a letter his wife shared publicly. Argentina will now look to build a squad without their all-time leading scorer for upcoming qualifiers.
CricHubb Take
Messi's departure leaves Argentina without their primary creator at a time when South American qualifying for 2026 is already proving unpredictable.