Lionel Messi retires from International Football: Full career stats, trophies and records
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing the curtain down on a 21-year Argentina career that included a World Cup, two Copa América titles, and a place among the greatest international careers the sport has seen.
The 39-year-old confirmed the decision on Instagram on Monday evening, weeks after captaining Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final, where they lost to Spain. He leaves the national team as its all-time leading scorer, most-capped player, and top assist provider.
Messi's Argentina career, by the numbers
Messi made 207 appearances for Argentina, scoring 125 goals and providing 68 assists—all national-team records. He made his senior debut in 2005 and went on to represent his country at six World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026), a feat matched only by Cristiano Ronaldo.
His international honours include:
FIFA World Cup: 2022 (winner), 2014 and 2026 (runner-up)
Copa América: 2021 and 2024 (winner)
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions (Finalissima): 2022 (winner)
FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014 and 2022
In an emotional statement, Messi said he had nothing left to give and that a new generation of players deserved their turn. He said he would now watch on as a supporter, still fully behind the team.
Club career: Barcelona, PSG and Inter Miami
Messi's club career began at Barcelona's La Masia academy and turned him into the most decorated player in the Catalan club's history. Across 778 appearances for Barcelona, he scored 672 goals and set up hundreds more, winning 35 major trophies, including four Champions League titles, ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies and eight Spanish Super Cups.
He moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, winning two Ligue 1 titles and a Trophée des Champions across two seasons, before joining Inter Miami in MLS in 2023. At Miami he won the League Cup in his debut season and has continued to break goal and assist records in North America, passing 80 goals for the club by 2026 and helping the team win further silverware, including the 2025 MLS championship.
Across his entire career, Messi has scored well over 890 official goals for club and country — the most by any player in the history of the professional game — with his tally still growing at Inter Miami.
Individual honours
Messi's individual trophy cabinet is unmatched in football history:
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Ballon d'Or: 8 wins (a record — no other player has won more than 5)
FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014, 2022
Most goals scored in a calendar year: 91 (2012)—a Guinness World Record
La Liga Pichichi (top scorer) winner on multiple occasions
European Golden Shoe winner on multiple occasions
What comes next?
Messi's retirement is from international duty only. He remains under contract at Inter Miami through the 2028 MLS season, meaning club football fans will continue to see him in action for at least two more years. Argentina's football federation is expected to organise a farewell tribute for their captain in the coming months.
Want me to also pull together a shorter, punchier version for social, or is this the format you'll run with as-is?
Edem Kwame
Chief Editor
Edem Kwame is a staff journalist at GH News Media, where he covers sports, politics, news and current affairs with a sharp focus on Ghanaian and African football.
