Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Lionel Messi Ends Argentina Career After Record-Breaking 21-Year Run
Lionel Messi stopped playing international soccer for Argentina after 21 years.
He was 39 when he announced his retirement.
Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022.
He also played in many other major tournaments.
The articles say he played in six World Cups and scored 21 goals in them.
He scored 125 goals for Argentina overall.
That is the most ever by an Argentina player.
He also played 207 matches for his country, another national record.
The articles disagree about Argentina’s 2026 World Cup result, with one mentioning a round-of-16 match and another saying Argentina lost the final to Spain.
Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer at age 39 after 21 years with Argentina.
He won the 2022 World Cup and reached two other finals, according to one account.
Messi played in six World Cups and scored 21 goals across those tournaments.
He finished with 125 international goals, more than twice the previous Argentina record of 54.
His 207 international appearances are an Argentina record, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo’s 233 for Portugal.
- Who
- Lionel Messi and the Argentina national soccer team.
- What
- Messi announced his retirement from international soccer after setting Argentina records for goals and appearances.
- When
- Monday, after 21 years with Argentina; he made his debut in August 2005.
- Where
- With Argentina in international soccer, including World Cup tournaments in Qatar and elsewhere.
- Why
- He announced his retirement to end his international career; the articles do not give a more specific reason.
Account One
Account Two
Argentina’s 2026 World Cup result
Account One
The first article’s accompanying caption refers to Argentina playing Egypt in a 2026 World Cup round-of-16 match in Atlanta.
Account Two
The second article says Messi reached the 2026 World Cup final with Argentina and lost to Spain.
- International career
- 21 years
- Age at retirement
- 39
- Argentina appearances
- 207, a national record
- Argentina goals
- 125, a national record
- World Cup appearances
- 6: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026
- World Cup goals
- 21
- World Cup titles
- 1, in Qatar in 2022
- Previous Argentina scoring record
- Gabriel Batistuta scored 54 goals in 78 appearances from 1991 to 2002
