Messi Ends 21-Year Argentina Career With 125 Goals After 6 World Cups

Q: Does stepping away from Argentina mark the true beginning of the end for Messi's historic career, despite his 2028 contract?

Yes — retiring from Argentina likely marks the symbolic beginning of Messi’s final career chapter, but not necessarily the immediate end of his club career. The clearest reason is age and context. Messi is 39, has now closed the international side of his career after 207 caps and 125 goals, and has already completed the one achievement that defined his Argentina legacy by winning the 2022 World Cup. Stepping away from the national team removes the last major recurring stage that kept his career tied to football’s highest stakes. That said, the retirement does not by itself mean he is about to stop playing. He remains under contract with Inter Miami through 2028, and recent reporting indicates there is no firm sign of an imminent club retirement. On performance alone, there is also evidence he can still contribute at a high level: he remained decisive deep into the 2026 World Cup and has continued to produce in MLS. What changes is the direction of the story. International retirement usually signals a narrowing of ambition, workload and calendar, especially after FIFA and player unions pushed for stronger rest periods. It also comes amid a period of personal reflection following the death of his father, which several reports suggest has affected how he views the future. So this is best seen as the beginning of the end in historical terms, not a countdown to an immediate exit. Messi’s era with Argentina is over; his playing career, for now, is not.

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Sep 1

39-year-old Lionel Messi said Monday he is retiring from Argentina duty, ending a 21-year international career two days after the World Cup final loss to Spain.
207 appearances and 125 goals leave Messi as Argentina’s all-time leading scorer; he also tied the men’s record by playing in six World Cups and scored 21 goals in them.
Messi said he wrote his farewell on July 21 but delayed posting it because his father Jorge was ill; Jorge Messi died on Aug. 8 in Rosario.
2022 World Cup glory in Qatar, plus Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, completed a late-career turnaround after Messi briefly retired in 2016 following a third straight major final defeat.
Inter Miami will keep Messi at club level, while tributes from President Javier Milei, FIFA’s Gianni Infantino and Argentina teammates framed his exit as the close of a defining national-team era.