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Argentina captain

Lionel Messi announces retirement from International Football

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Lionel Messi

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina captain Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 39, bringing an end to one of the most decorated international careers in the sport.

Messi made the announcement Monday in an emotional post on Instagram, saying the decision was painful but that he believed the time was right to step away from the national team.

Messi’s announcement came after Argentina reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup final under his leadership before losing 1-0 to Spain after extra time.

Messi ends his international career with 207 appearances and 125 goals for Argentina, making him the country’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer.

He led Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar and also helped the team win the Copa America in 2021 and 2024.

In his farewell message, Messi said he had always given everything for Argentina and wanted to bring happiness and pride to the country through football. He also acknowledged that a new generation of players was emerging.

The retirement marks the end of more than two decades of Messi representing Argentina and closes a remarkable chapter in the career of one of football’s greatest players.

Messi scores hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria

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Messi scores

DOHA: Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored a sensational hat-trick to lead his side to a memorable victory over Algeria in their opening World Cup match, giving the defending champions a strong start to their title defense.

The win in the group-stage opener saw Argentina overcome Algeria as Messi delivered a standout performance in his 200th international appearance.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZq-BnNFpf8/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=AfEEqreGBPCfEdn0xcQv82t

The 38-year-old forward scored his first goal in the 17th minute to give Argentina the lead. He added his second after capitalizing on an error by Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane in the second half before completing his hat-trick with a powerful strike in the 76th minute.

With the treble, Messi’s World Cup goal tally rose to 16, drawing him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in the tournament’s history.

The Argentine star also achieved another milestone by becoming the first player to feature in six different World Cup editions, having previously played in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and now 2026.