Lionel Messi sheds tears as he watches Spanish players celebrate following the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match on July 19, 2026. Maja Hitij - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Soccer great Lionel Messi is hanging up his boots for the Argentina national team — ending nearly two decades representing the country.

Messi played in six World Cups and led Argentina to win the tournament in 2022 in Qatar. This summer, he and the Argentina squad made it to the final, losing to Spain.

"It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come," Messi said in an Instagram post Monday. "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."

The announcement comes just weeks after his father, Jorge Messi, died on Aug. 8, at the age of 68.

In his post Monday, Messi explained that he wrote his retirement letter on June 21 — two days after losing the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

After his father's passing, Messi said he "didn't know how to keep going. All I ever did was play soccer and now I have serious doubts about whether I'll keep doing it for much longer."

On Monday he wrote, "Today, after everything with my dad, I am even more convinced than before."

The 39-year-old, who made his debut for Argentina's senior national team in 2006, thanked fans in his post on Monday.

"Thank you for all the love these past 20 years. I'm going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much. Now I'm going to be one of you, cheering and supporting you from the outside (through thick and thin, even more so)," Messi wrote.

"I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — along with my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of. Experiencing this with you was incredible. I love you all," he added.

Messi played 207 games for Argentina and finishes as its all-time leading scorer with 125 goals — only long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo has more goals, with 146, in men's internationals. Ronaldo has yet to announce his retirement from Portugal duty.

"Thank you for everything, Leo. Thank you for representing Argentina. Thank you for making us dream. Thank you for turning so many dreams into reality. The legend is yours, forever," the Argentine Football Association said in a statement.

Messi currently plays club soccer for Inter Miami after 17 seasons with Barcelona FC and a brief stint with Paris Saint-Germain. In his post, Messi did not say how long he will continue to play professional soccer.

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