Lionel Messi’s announcement of his retirement from the Argentina national team was reported as the culmination of his long international career.
Alongside his farewell message, his appearances and goals, as well as his World Cup and Copa América triumphs, are once again drawing attention.
What this announcement confirmed is his retirement from the Argentina national team.
3-Line Summary
1. Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team
2. He recorded 207 appearances and 125 goals for the national team
3. The scope of his farewell is the national team
207 Appearances and 125 Goals from 2005 Onward
Argentine footballer Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the national team through his social media accounts on August 31. CNBC Indonesia and CNN Indonesia reported that he said he would end his time with the Argentina national team at age 39. Messi himself said that he had thought about the decision for a long time and described it as a difficult and painful decision.
According to Kompas.id, Messi became an Argentina national team player in 2005, then made 207 appearances and scored 125 goals. This includes 21 World Cup goals. The same report said that Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo had scored 146 goals for his national team, with Messi’s record following behind.
These numbers do not simply mean that he played for a long time. Messi won the 2022 Qatar World Cup with Argentina. CNN Indonesia also listed his major achievements with the national team as winning the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles and the 2022 Finalissima. The Copa América is a tournament for South American national teams, while the Finalissima is a match between the continental champions of South America and Europe.
Kompas.id reported that Messi was a player who led Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup and a player who reached the 2026 World Cup final. CNN Indonesia reported that he announced his retirement two days after playing in the 2026 World Cup final. The fact shared by both reports is that this farewell came after he had experienced multiple victories with the national team.
The Scope Indicated by Messi’s Words: “I’ll Support You from Outside”
In his farewell message, Messi said that he would deeply miss the voices of Argentina’s fans that he had heard inside the stadium. He also expressed that he would now become one of the people supporting and cheering from outside the stadium. In other words, a player who had taken the field wearing the national team jersey said that he would henceforth support the national team from that position.
The important expressions here are international football and the national team. The reports also say that Messi plays for the U.S. football club Inter Miami and is on the same team as his Argentina national team teammate Rodrigo De Paul. However, the retirement intention made public this time concerns the Argentina national team. Based only on the reports provided, it cannot be concluded that he is ending all football activities.
CNN Indonesia reported that the decision came 3 weeks after Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, died at age 68 on August 7. However, the reports do not define that event alone as the reason for his retirement announcement. What Messi stated directly was that, after thinking about it for a long time, he had decided to leave the national team.
Beckham and Scaloni, Farewells in Different Ways from the Record
Messages from teammates and figures in the football world followed the retirement announcement. Kompas.id reported that David Beckham, the former English footballer and an equity owner of Inter Miami, wrote that Messi’s legacy would remain for a long time. He said that Messi had become a role model for many children in Argentina and around the world.
Beckham and Messi met many times as players for different clubs. Kompas.id reported that they faced each other in the Spanish league from 2005~2007, when Beckham played for Real Madrid and Messi for Barcelona. In the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals during the 2012~2013 season, they met again, with Beckham playing for Paris Saint-Germain and Messi for Barcelona. The two men’s relationship later also continued as equity owners of Inter Miami.
Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni described Messi as “history” and a “legend.” Ángel Di María, who shared the 2022 Qatar World Cup with him, said it was difficult to accept that he would no longer see Messi wearing the sky-blue-and-white jersey. National team defender Cristian Romero also expressed his gratitude and respect.
Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, wrote that she had watched him continue to take on challenges despite difficulties and that the dream he shared with the national team had come true. Argentina’s President Javier Milei and FIFA President Gianni Infantino also offered praise, CNBC Indonesia reported. These reactions do not newly establish the records Messi left behind; they are each person’s assessment of his already-announced national team retirement and career.
References
Tags #LionelMessi #Messi #MessiArgentina #ArgentinaNationalTeam #MessiRetirement #NationalTeamRetirement #WorldCup #QatarWorldCup #CopaAmerica #Finalissima #LionelScaloni #DavidBeckham #InterMiami