Lionel Messi announces he is retiring from Argentina’s national team

By CNN

Published August 31, 2026 10:42 am

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

(CNN) — Argentine superstar Lionel Messi announced Monday that he is retiring from his country’s national team.

“After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the National Team,” Messi said in a statement on Instagram.

“It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.”

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

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