Football superstar Lionel Messi has announced he is retiring from international football, ending more than 20 years playing for Argentina.
The 39-year-old will keep playing for his club team, Inter Miami, but will no longer play for his country or take part in international tournaments like the World Cup.
Messi captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup, and led the team back to this year’s final, where they lost to Spain.
In a statement on social media, he said the decision “hurt” but that “the time has come.”
Messi was signed by Spanish club Barcelona in 2000, when he was just 13 years old. His first contract with the club was famously written on a paper napkin. He went on to play 17 seasons for Barcelona, scoring 672 goals in 778 matches, before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
Argentina’s all-time great
Messi made his debut for Argentina in 2005 and has since become the country’s record goalscorer, with 125 goals and 46 assists. He has also played more matches for Argentina than anyone else, appearing 207 times.
At this year’s World Cup, Messi played in his sixth tournament, making him the first men’s player in history to feature at six different World Cups. He finishes with 21 World Cup goals, just one behind the record.
World Cup champion
Messi’s biggest triumph came at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when he captained Argentina to a dramatic final win over France. The match finished 3-3 after extra time, and Argentina won the penalty shoot-out 4-2. Messi scored twice in the final before lifting the trophy as Argentina became world champions for the third time.
A record-breaking career
Messi also holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards, the prize given each year to the best footballer in the world. He has won it eight times, more than any other player.
Argentina fans will now be saying a fond farewell to one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
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