Lionel Messi announces international retirement

Doha, Qatar: Argentina national team captain Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football in an online statement posted on his social media account.

"After all this time that has passed since the final, having thought about it a lot, I want to inform everyone that I am retiring from the National Team," a rough translation of the Argentine football superstar read.

Lionel Messi captained Argentina all the way to the final in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they were defeated by Spain.