Lionel Messi has retired from international football. The 39-year-old announced on Instagram on 31 August 2026 that he would no longer play for Argentina, and he said goodbye to the home fans in a farewell friendly against Benin on 6 October. He scored in a 3-0 win in Buenos Aires, his 126th goal in his 208th match for his country, both Argentina records. He will keep playing for Inter Miami, where his contract runs to 2028.
Messi’s farewell match: Argentina 3-0 Benin
Messi played his last match for Argentina at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, 6 October, in front of about 85,000 fans. The friendly was arranged as a send-off after his retirement announcement.
He set up the opening goal for Nicolas Otamendi and scored the second himself from the penalty spot in the 71st minute. Nico Paz added the third. The goal took Messi to 126 for Argentina, and the match was his record 208th international appearance.
Why Messi stepped away
His last competitive match for Argentina was the 2026 World Cup final in July, which Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time. In his announcement, Messi said his time was running short and that young players deserved their chance. He also spoke of how hard the weeks since the death of his father, Jorge, earlier in August had been.
He wrote that this was a chapter that “hurts me deeply” to close.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina career in numbers
| Record | Figure |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 208 (Argentina record) |
| Goals | 126 (Argentina record) |
| World Cups played | 6 |
| International career | 2005 to 2026 |
| Last match | Argentina 3-0 Benin, 6 October 2026 |
Trophies with Argentina
- FIFA World Cup: 2022, in Qatar, where he was also named player of the tournament.
- Copa America: 2021 and 2024.
- Olympic gold: Beijing 2008.
For years, the big international prize eluded him. Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and three Copa America finals, in 2007, 2015 and 2016. After the 2016 defeat he briefly announced his international retirement before changing his mind. The run that followed brought two Copa America titles and the World Cup.
From debut to a sixth World Cup
Messi made his senior Argentina debut in August 2005 in a friendly against Hungary, and was sent off within minutes of coming on. He went on to play at six World Cups, from 2006 to 2026, and captained his country for most of the second half of his career.
His last tournament ended one match short. Argentina reached the 2026 final in North America but lost to Spain by a single goal in extra time.
What happens next
Messi is not retiring from football. He remains at Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, with his contract running until 2028. Argentina, who reached a second successive World Cup final in 2026, now begin a new cycle without the player who defined their team for two decades.
Messi also holds the record of eight Ballon d’Or awards, the most by any player.
Updated 14 October 2026 with the farewell match against Benin. Sources: Al Jazeera, Buenos Aires Times, Kuwait Times and The Sun Papers.
