LIONEL MESSI ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing his illustrious career with the Argentina national team to an end at the age of 39.
The Argentina captain made the announcement on Monday in an Instagram post featuring a handwritten message in Spanish, in which he confirmed his decision to step away from the national team.
Messi said the decision was difficult but acknowledged that the time had come to close the chapter after two decades of representing Argentina.
He wrote that he had always given his best for the national team, regardless of whether the team was winning or struggling, and expressed pride in having helped deliver historic successes to Argentine football.
Messi also revealed that the decision was influenced by the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away on August 8 at the age of 68.
The football legend has represented Argentina at six World Cups, winning the tournament in Qatar in 2022 before leading the team to the 2026 final, where they lost to Spain.
Messi leaves the national team as Argentina’s most-capped player and all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 125 goals in 207 appearances. He is also the highest-scoring player in South American international football history.
During his international career, Messi helped Argentina end a 28-year wait for a major trophy by winning the 2021 Copa América. He also led the team to another Copa América triumph in 2024 and the 2022 World Cup title.
The 39-year-old had previously announced his international retirement in 2016 after Argentina suffered defeat in three consecutive finals. However, he later reversed the decision and returned to lead the country to its historic World Cup triumph in Qatar.
In his farewell message, Messi thanked his family, coaches, teammates, officials and supporters for standing by him throughout his journey with the national team.
He said he would now support Argentina from outside the team, while expressing his love and gratitude for having had the opportunity to represent his country.
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