Soccer legend Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football on Monday, bringing an end to a remarkable 19-season career with Argentina’s national team.

The 39-year-old confirmed his decision in an emotional statement shared on Instagram, saying stepping away from the national team was deeply painful but that he believed the time had come.

“After the time that passed since the final, thinking about it a lot, I want to communicate to everyone that I am retiring from the national team,” Messi wrote in Spanish. “It was a decision that hurt and hurts my soul, but I understand that this is the moment.”

Messi said he had always given everything while representing Argentina, both during the team’s recent successes and throughout the more difficult years of his international career.

His final appearance for Argentina came at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the defending champions were beaten 2-1 by Spain in the final.

Messi revealed that he initially wrote his retirement message on July 21, two days after the World Cup final, but waited before making the decision public.

He said the death of his father, Jorge Messi, on August 8 further reinforced his decision to step away from international football.

“I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today after my dad, I’m more convinced than before,” Messi wrote.

Messi leaves international football as Argentina’s captain and all-time leading goalscorer. He also holds the record as the highest-scoring male player in South American international football.

One of the defining moments of his Argentina career came in 2022, when he led the country to victory over France in the World Cup final, securing Argentina’s first world title since 1986.

Despite retiring from international competition, Messi will continue his club career with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami CF, where he has played since 2023.

His retirement closes one of the most celebrated chapters in international football, spanning nearly two decades and culminating in the World Cup triumph that had long eluded him.