After more than two decades wearing the Argentina national team jersey, Lionel Messi closes the most glorious chapter in Argentine football history, having led his country to reclaim its continental and global glory.
Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football with the Argentina national team through an emotional message on Monday. Read the details
Lionel Messi was not merely a player who wore the number 10 jersey for Argentina; he was a football project spanning over two decades, witnessing moments of painful defeat and eternal victories, ultimately culminating in a legacy difficult to replicate in football history.
As the curtain falls on his international career, Messi leaves the "Tango" squad having restored it to the pinnacle of world football after years of waiting, achieving records and accomplishments that make him the greatest player in Argentine national team history and one of the greatest players ever to represent any national side.
A Rocky Start
The path Lionel Messi tread with the Argentina national team was not paved with roses; rather, it was filled with disappointments, criticisms, and pressures that accompanied him since his debut in the "Albiceleste" jersey in 2005.
On August 17, 2005, Messi played his first international match against Hungary, but his debut ended unexpectedly when he received a red card less than a minute after entering the field.
Despite that start, he quickly proved his talent, leading Argentina to win the Youth World Cup later that same year, before claiming the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, confirming that his future with the national team would be exceptional.
However, these early successes at youth levels did not immediately translate to the senior team. Messi endured years of frustration following defeats in the 2007 Copa América final, then the 2014 World Cup final against Germany, before losing the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals to Chile via penalty shootouts.
Following the latter Copa América defeat in 2016, Messi announced his retirement from international football in a decision that shook the sports world, but he returned shortly afterward, affirming that his dream with Argentina was not yet over.
Years of Glory
The 2021 Copa América title marked the major turning point in Messi's international career. At the famous Maracanã Stadium, he led his country to victory over Brazil, ending a 28-year wait for the continental trophy and securing his first major title with the senior national team.
A year later, he continued writing history by leading Argentina to win the "Finalissima" title against Italy, before reaching the zenith of glory in December 2022 when he lifted the World Cup in Qatar after one of the greatest finals in tournament history against France, finally achieving the dream he had pursued throughout his career.
The story did not end there; he added the 2024 Copa América title, confirming that the generation he led was not a one-time champion, but a team that imposed its dominance on the international stage.
Messi continued delivering outstanding performances during the 2026 World Cup held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but he lost the title in the final to the Spanish national team by a single goal, prompting his subsequent decision to retire internationally.
Messi's Statistics with Argentina
Messi's journey with Argentina cannot be summarized by trophies alone; the numbers he achieved reflect the magnitude of his impact over more than twenty years.
Messi concluded his career as the most-capped player in Argentine national team history, having played 207 international matches. He also became Argentina's all-time top scorer with 125 goals, alongside 68 assists, bringing his total goal contributions to 193.
At the World Cup level, he made an unprecedented mark, participating in six editions of the tournament and playing 34 matches—the highest number in World Cup history. He also became Argentina's all-time top scorer in the World Cup, raising his tally to 21 goals.
Throughout his international career, Messi won six titles with Argentine national teams: the 2005 Youth World Cup, the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa América.
He also secured several prominent individual international awards, including the Best Player award at the World Cup twice (2014 and 2022), in addition to the Best Player award at the Copa América in 2015, 2021, and 2024.
